Motorhome catches fire on SH5 near Rotorua

Emergency services attend a house-bus fire on State Highway 5 near Tumunui. Photo / Supplied

Flames ripped through a “house-bus” on State Highway 5 near Tumunui this morning, destroying the motorhome and prompting an emergency response.

Fire crews arrived to find the vehicle “fully involved” and quickly extinguished the blaze.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand northern communication centre shift manager Josh Pennefather said everyone was out of the motorhome and no injuries were reported.

Pennefather said crews remain on scene monitoring for hotspots while a tow truck was arranged to remove the burnt-out vehicle from the highway.

Firefighters from Rotorua attended the incident, supported by a Lake Ōkareka water tanker.

Police said they received a report of a vehicle on fire on SH5 about 10am and are assisting with traffic management while emergency services work at the scene.

A spokesperson from NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi said that after being closed for almost two hours, the road had reopened.

The road was operating under stop-go traffic management, with motorists advised to expect delays and allow extra time for their journeys.

Annabel Reid is a multimedia journalist for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post, based in Rotorua. Originally from Hawke’s Bay, she has a Bachelor of Communications from the University of Canterbury.