A 57-year-old man was killed when a fire ripped through a house in a remote rural part of Hawkes Bay yesterday.
The house on Darky's Spur Rd in Tangoio, north of Napier, had all but collapsed by the time firefighters from Bay View and Napier arrived about 5.30pm.
"It was quite a way out in the country - when the brigade got there the house was well alight," Fire Service central communications shift manager David Meikle said.
"It appears that the house had pretty much collapsed by the time the brigade arrived."
One person was confirmed dead at the scene. No one else was thought to have been in the house at the time.
At least one fire crew was still there after 9pm.
A scene examination was yet to be carried out and the body remained at the scene.
Police said the man's name will be released once his family have been notified. It is believed he lived in the house.
Fire Safety and police will investigate the cause today.