New Zealand / Manawatu

Taupo fire survivors: 'They've got no clothes'

21:49 pm on 19 March 2017

Members of a small community near Taupo where three people died after a house fire on Friday have rallied together and set up a home for the survivors.

Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly

A woman and baby died when the house went up in flames on a dairy farm on State Highway 5 at Rangitaiki. A man died in hospital later that day.

One survivor was discharged from Waikato Hospital on Friday and another - a woman - was in a stable condition in a ward.

Rangitaiki Tavern owner Marion Klaus said an empty house on the property has been furnished, but they still needed some other things.

"There was nothing. They do need clothing and money. The house is furnished, but they've got no clothes, that's really what they desperately need."

Ms Klaus said it was organised by managers and staff on the affected property and other farms.

It was expected to be days before the cause of the fire was known.

Fire service investigators were not treating the blaze as suspicious.

Once they knew the cause, the case would be referred to the Coroner.

The Fire Service said the house had working smoke alarms.