Ōmāpere man found safe but home destroyed in ferocious blaze

Rawene fire chief Zak Bristow surveys the little that remains of the Kokohuia Rd house after Thursday morning's fire. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Fears for a Northland man after a ferocious house fire in Ōmāpere yesterday turned to relief when he was located at another address in the South Hokianga town.

Firefighters from as far away as Dargaville responded to the blaze which broke out on Kokohuia Rd, on a hillside overlooking Hokianga Harbour, just before 10am.

With no hope of saving the single-storey house, firefighters focused on stopping the flames spreading through bush and gum trees to other houses.

A large home just over a ridge, about 80m away, was particularly at risk.

Rawene firefighters were first on the scene. They were backed up by crews from Kaikohe and Okaihau, while tankers from Kerikeri and Dargaville shuttled water from a hydrant on State Highway 12.

The blaze took more than two hours to extinguish fully.

Rawene fire chief Zak Bristow said the single-storey dwelling was burning fiercely when the brigade arrived.

A short time later firefighters were told the home's occupant was not accounted for, though there were also unconfirmed reports he was ''out and about in the community''.

''The house was unsalvageable. It was a case of containing the surrounding fire, which was spreading into the vegetation towards a house over the ridge. We managed to cut it off.''

At the same time, firefighters conducted a careful search of what was left of the house.

Around 1pm police confirmed the home's usual occupant was safely at another address in Ōmāpere.

''It was a good job by everyone,'' Bristow said.

Volunteers from Rawene Fire Brigade at the scene of the Kokohuia Rd house fire. Photo / Peter de Graaf

A neighbour, who did not want to be named, said the first he knew was when he heard a loud boom.

''Seconds later I got a call from another neighbour down the road saying, 'F***, there's a house on fire'.''

The neighbour jumped on his quad bike and raced to the burning house, but it was clearly beyond saving.

He then alerted the occupant's mother, who lived next door, and persuaded her to get out.

At that point trees were on fire and the wind was blowing smoke and flames towards her house.

Police officers brief a detective from the Northland CIB at the scene of Thursday's fire on Kokohuia Rd. Photo / Peter de Graaf

St John Ambulance attended as a precaution along with Victim Support, fire investigators, Rawene police and detectives from Northland CIB.

The cause of the fire was not known at edition time on Thursday.

Just last week a Far North man died in a caravan fire at Peria, inland from Doubtless Bay. Police said the blaze was not suspicious. His death has been referred to the coroner.