Elderly woman dies in Mt Wellington house fire

Neighbours tried to rescue an elderly lady from an Auckland house fire but the flames "were just too big", they said.

The woman, believed to be in her eighties, died in the blaze in Melton Rd, Mt Wellington, early this morning.

She lived alone in the house and was extremely private, neighbour Survin Chaudhary told the Herald. The family had been up all night watching as the fire destroyed the home.

The aftermath of the blaze at a home on Melton Road, Mt Wellington. Photo / Brett Phibbs

"We woke around 2am, all I heard was glass breaking. I woke my husband and said someone had broken into the car," Mrs Chaudhary said.

"When we opened the curtains we saw smoke and fire coming through the windows of her house."

She said the smoke began pouring in their open window too.

"I grabbed the kids and ran down the driveway, and called the fire service from the street," she said.

"My husband ran up to see if he could do anything but it was just too big, the flames were too big. And things were bursting inside the house, exploding. But we were so worried about the poor lady being in there alone."

Photo / Brett Phibbs

Mrs Chaudhary said the woman lived alone, and family visited only occasionally.

"It's so sad. I've never seen anything in my life like that."

The fire service is yet to determine the cause of the blaze.

Fire Communications shift manager Scott Osmond said it had received multiple reports were received of the fire at the house at 2.45am.

The house was well involved when fire crews arrived on the scene.

After the fire had been extinguished, the deceased woman was found inside the house, Mr Osmond said.

One fire truck and crew remained at the scene, and an investigation into the cause of the fire would continue throughout the day.