Woman in serious condition after fire in Ruakaka

File photo / Supplied

A woman suffered severe burns when a fire ripped through her home in Ruakaka, south of Whangarei, tonight.

Emergency services were called to a house on Tamure Place shortly before 8.30pm after reports of an explosion.

Northern fire communications shift manager Dallas Ramsay said the fire was well involved when fire trucks arrived.

"We had multiple calls from neighbours who said it sounded like an explosion, which also rocked a number of nearby houses.

"We had four trucks there...battling the blaze."

Ms Ramsay said it was not known how the fire started and that a fire investigator was also called to the scene.

One woman was taken to Northland Base Hospital in Whangarei in a serious condition, with severe burns to 70 per cent of her body, Ms Ramsay said.