A large fire has engulfed a house in Glenfield on Auckland’s North Shore, sending thick smoke and flames into the air as firefighters worked to bring the blaze under control.
According to a report by Stuff, Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) received multiple calls about the fire at the single-level property shortly before 4 pm on Friday.
The intensity of the blaze prompted firefighters to raise the response to a second alarm. Around five crews and support vehicles were sent to the scene, with additional resources en route.
FENZ said there were no reports of anyone inside the property. The cause of the fire was not immediately known.
Local resident Cynthia Sim watched the blaze from her home, about a kilometre away.
“It was huge. It was huge fire,” she said, as quoted by Stuff.
Sim said she had just returned from grocery shopping and was unloading her car with her daughter when they noticed the fire.
“The entire house were red,” she said, describing flames coming from inside the property and spreading across the house, Stuff has quoted.
Her immediate concern was whether anyone could have been trapped inside, particularly because elderly residents lived in the surrounding area.
“For us, it’s more concerned and hopefully that it’s no one inside,” as quoted by Stuff.
Sim said the close proximity of neighbouring houses also made the fire particularly concerning.
By about 4.21pm, she said the blaze appeared to be coming under control, with only a small amount of fire still visible. Later, she could no longer see any flames, Stuff has reported.
Her daughter, Zhara Sim, said the intensity of the fire initially made it difficult to see the house itself.
“There’s a porch and the roof of the canopy is completely gone, completely burned down by the time I took a video.”
“From the inside to the porch, it’s just completely engulfed in flames,” as quoted by Stuff.
She said the property later appeared heavily blackened from where the family was watching.
“I couldn’t even see the house underneath. It was all I spotted coming out of my room was just red flames,” as quoted by Stuff.
Firefighters remained at the scene working to extinguish the blaze and assess the property. The cause of the fire was yet to be determined.