Raglan woman loses home, belongings in ferocious house fire

A woman has lost her home and her possessions after fire tore through her Raglan house.

Raglan fire chief Frank Turner said the house was fully ablaze when they arrived about 8.30pm yesterday.

Turner said the woman was watching television in her lounge when she smelt smoke.

She then discovered a fire in her bedroom and fled.

Crews were called about 8.20pm but it was well ablaze when they arrived. They managed to get it under control just after 9pm.

A St John Ambulance crew was called to the scene to treat the woman for smoke inhalation.

There was no one else in the house which was severely damaged by either smoke or water.

Turner said the fire appeared to be caused by an electrical fault with a lamp.

When talking with firefighters the woman was unsure if she was insured, he said.

The house, on Te Hutewai Rd, Raglan, was well involved in flames when firefighters arrived at the scene last night.

"She got left with what she was wearing because everything was pretty much smoke damaged and scorched by the time we got it out."

She had gone to stay with her partner who lived nearby.

Turner said their crews had been busy over the Easter weekend attending unnecessary fires.

He reminded residents that there was a full fire ban in place - which meant no bonfires or fires in the backyard.

He'd attended three fires, either bonfires or scrub fires, since Friday and he'd had enough.

"People are noticing smoke and we get called out to it and we tell them the fire ban hasn't been lifted and they're like 'oh we thought it had rained and was good as gold now'.

"It's not."