Emergency services were called to the fire on Peel St in Cobden at about 5.30am.
Emergency services were called to the fire on Peel St in Cobden at about 5.30am.
A person has died in a house fire in Greymouth this morning.
Emergency services were called to the fire on Peel St in Cobden at about 5.30am.
A police spokesperson said inquiries are under way to establish the circumstances of the fire, including how it started.
"Police will beworking with Fire and Emergency NZ investigators today to conduct a scene examination."
It comes after a woman who yelled and screamed abuse at Cobden volunteer firefighters appeared in the Greymouth District Court on Wednesday, the Greymouth Star reported.
The firefighters had been called to put out a fire in a vacant section alongside the Aotearoa Natives gang pad at the time of the incident.
Chrystal Anne Carter admitted disorderly behaviour likely to cause violence. A further charge of wilful damage was withdrawn.
Lawyer George Linder said it was "just bad behaviour and inappropriate".
A person has died in a house fire in Greymouth this morning. Photo / Greymouth Star
The Grey Star reported Carter was already on a community detention sentence at the time.
"Her associates [Aotearoa Natives] were the people who assaulted people at the scene of the fire. Carter's behaviour was just bad and she made a terrible fool of herself," Linder said.
She was not involved in the violence exhibited by her co-offender.
Judge Paul Kellar told Carter she faced a maximum sentence of three months' jail or a $2000 fine.
"I need to hold you to account for your appalling behaviour."
The Cobden Volunteer Fire Brigade was called out to Peel St on the night of March 4 but when emergency services arrived, gang members assaulted police, volunteer firefighters and a member of the public who was taking photos of the blaze.
Judge Kellar said the trouble began when the brigade pulled up to extinguish the fire next door to the gang pad.
"There was a freelance photographer there taking photos and gang members grabbed him around the neck and threw him to the ground. To put it in context, that did not involve you," the judge said to Carter.
"You came into play when you started yelling and screaming at the fire personnel and threw items at them, which then served to spur on the associates, who became more agitated."
The judge said the fire volunteers did a superb job and "your behaviour made their lives much more difficult".
Carter was sentenced to a further two weeks' community detention to be served on top of her current sentence.
