Fire destroys Tauranga sleep out

Firefighters responding to a house fire in Tauranga found a sleep out "well involved" last night. Photo/file

Incredibly heavy rain failed to douse the flames of a fire which destroyed a sleep out in Tauranga overnight.

Firefighters were called to reports of a house fire on Carmichael Rd, Bethlehem, at 6.50pm.

Northen fire communications shift manager Carren Larking said when firefighters arrived they found a small structure ablaze. Firefighters believed it to be a sleep out, she said.

"It was well involved in fire."

Ms Larking said there did not appear to be any injuries and a fire investigator would head to the scene this morning.

Metservice recorded a total rainfall of 79.4m in Tauranga for yesterday - the highest volume of rain to fall in one day for more than a month.