Man seriously burned on face in house fire

File photo / NZ Herald

A man will undergo surgery today for burns to his face, arms and torso after a house fire in Turangi early today.

The 65-year-old man and his wife were woken by their adult son as the blaze began to engulf their home about 2.30am.

The Youthtown Rescue Helicopter flew the injured man to Waikato Hospital where he will have surgery on his burns.

His wife suffered smoke inhalation and was taken by ambulance to Taupo Hospital.

Three fire crews were needed to extinguish the blaze and a fire investigator had been at the scene this morning.

Turangi chief fire officer Tong Kingi said the investigator would try to determine what had started the fire, which was not being treated as suspicious.

"It appears it started in a bedroom and then spread throughout the house,'' Mr Kingi said.

"Neighbours ... saw large flames coming out of one of the windows.

"The house was fully involved on arrival.''

Mr Kingi said the single-storey timber home would need to be demolished.