One dead in Kaitaia house fire

One person is dead after a house fire on the outskirts of Kaitaia in the Far North early this morning.

A Fire Service spokeswoman said three appliances attended a call at 2.14am, and found the single storey house well alight with the corrugated iron roof already collapsed.

She said fire officers were told the elderly man who owned the house was away, but shortly after 3.30am a body was found in the house.

The body had yet to be identified, and fire safety officers were investigating the cause of the blaze.

- NZPA