Rotorua house fire: Man charged with arson after house gutted

Police have arrested and charged a man in relation to a fire that gutted a home in Rotorua.

Emergency services were called to “well-involved fire” at a Fenruss St address in Fairy Springs in the early hours of June 5.

Fire and Emergency NZ said the fire was considered suspicious and a police guard was stationed at the address in the hours after the fire.

Police said a 41-year-old male had been arrested on Monday and charged with arson.

He was due to appear in the Rotorua District Court today.

A neighbour, who didn’t want to be named, told the Rotorua Daily Post her son woke up to a “bang”, went outside and saw the house on fire.

A scene guard at a Fenruss St house that caught fire in the early hours of June 5. Photo / Ben Fraser

“He pretty much saw everything happen. He came back in, gave the fire brigade a call.

“It was fully ablaze. It was freaky.”

The neighbour said her son could feel the fire’s heat from their home’s front doorstep. They could also hear smashing windows and sparking wires.

A house caught fire on Fenruss St on June 5. Photo / Ben Fraser

It took about three hours for the firefighters to get the blaze under control, she said. The overnight rain had stopped when the fire started.

The neighbour said thankfully for their home and family, the wind was blowing in the other direction.

“We were like, oh my gosh, don’t blow this way.”

Another neighbour said he heard a window smash and got up to see what was going on.

“[I saw an] ambient glow in the air of orange. Pretty scary.”

He said he could feel the heat and was worried.

“I was a bit stressed. The fire brigade was here real quick.”

The Fenruss St home was gutted by fire. Photo / Ben Fraser

He said the flames got about “six foot” above the chimney.

No injuries were reported.