A house fire broke out at Ascot Park in Porirua, north of Wellington, on Wednesday night.
Thick black smoke has blanketed the area, and four fire crews were at the scene.
A fire service spokesman said multiple calls were received about the fire, the first coming at 7.27pm.
Black smoke hangs over Porirua as crews tackle the fire. – PAUL SCHOFIELD
The bulk of the blaze had been extinguished, but fire crews were still on scene to dampen down the area.
The single-storey house had sustained significant damage, the spokesman said.
A witness said it was thought no-one had lived in the house for several weeks.
At 8pm, smoke was still pouring from the house, and flames continued to burn on the inside.
Four fire trucks and a mobile command centre were in attendance.
A neighbour reported seeing flames leap as “high as the roof” before the first siren began sounding.
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