File photo. Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly
A neighbour of a Pukekohe house where a person died in a devastating Boxing Day fire says a "really lovely" couple lived at the property.
A drone was being used as police and fire investigators probed the cause of yesterday's fatal blaze.
The badly damaged Victoria St home was cordoned off this morning, with a police car parked at the front of the property.
A small bouquet of white Christmas lilies had been placed on the ground near the house, where a person lost their life after a fire broke out just after 6pm on Boxing Day.
A Victoria St neighbour who did not wish to be named told the Herald she started to smell smoke around 6pm, and then looked out and saw smoke coming from the house.
"Within a couple of minutes from seeing the first smoke we saw flames to it being completely engulfed. It all happened so fast," she said.
She started to realise that there may have been someone inside when the first fire truck started to arrive.
She said the occupants of the house were really lovely people.
"You know them as neighbours. She collects jam jars and he always waves.
"He's always really polite. I'm sure if you went over there, he would help you. They are those kind of people."
She said anything like this happening throughout the year was horrible, but it hurt more at this time of year.
Another neighbour, Simon Davison, said when they returned home around 6pm fire had engulfed the house.
"There was a lot of smoke at the start and then flames started to come out. We then started to hear banging of things breaking."
This morning, at least four police and three Fire and Emergency New Zealand officers were among investigators gathered outside the emergency tape cordon at the gutted home.
A drone could be seeing flying over the remains of the single-level brick dwelling.
Investigators could also be seen towards the end of the driveway at the rear of the home.
A police spokesperson said a scene examination was under way at the Pukekohe address today and inquiries to determine the full circumstances of what occurred were continuing.
Multiple 111 calls as flames engulfed Victoria St home
Last night, nearly half a dozen fire crews, alongside a specialist command unit, were called in to help extinguish the large blaze on Victoria St after multiple concerned calls.
Three fire trucks initially arrived on the scene, but crews called for back-up upon arrival after seeing how large the fire was.
A spokesperson said some 22 firefighters worked to extinguish the fire, which took half an hour to bring under control.
"Crews deployed multiple hoses and crews with breathing apparatus to fight the fire," the spokesperson said.
A police spokesperson confirmed a person died as a result of the fire.
The fire did not spread to any surrounding properties and firefighters are currently dampening any remaining hotspots.
- This story was first published by the NZ Herald