Police investigate fire at unoccupied Welcome Bay home

The Welcome Bay property where a fire happened late Sunday night was unoccupied.

Fire investigators are working to determine the cause of a "suspicious" fire at an unoccupied Welcome Bay home.

Emergency services were called to a secluded Waikite Rd property about 10.30pm on Sunday.

Police and fire investigators were at the house which is down a valley, surrounded by well-established trees and bushes, yesterday morning.

Northern fire communications shift manager Scott Osmond said the cause of the fire appeared to be suspicious but investigations were ongoing.

Colin Driller lives in the house behind the charred home and was asleep when the fire happened.

Mr Driller had found out about the fire after his son texted him to see if he was okay.

"I could not believe that I slept through the whole thing," Mr Driller said.

"Apparently there was a fire engine hooked up to the fire hydrant right outside my house."

Mr Driller said the house was unoccupied. "It has been empty since just before Christmas."

He said the owner of the home had returned to the property "on and off" about four to six weeks ago, but he had not seen her for a while.

"She is a lovely woman, a very friendly person. I feel terrible for her."

Neighbours who lived across the valley did not see Sunday night's fire. Tauranga's fire risk management officer Luke Burgess said the fire was still under investigation.

"We have not come up with a confirmed cause as yet."

He said the house was unoccupied at the time of the fire.

He did not know if there had been a fire at the property before and was still trying to contact the owner.