A VACANT Housing New Zealand home at Munro Street in Elgin was all but destroyed by fire in the early hours of this morning.

A specialist fire investigator has been called in to try to establish the cause. At this stage the fire is being treated as suspicious.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand received a 111 call at around 4.30am.

A neighbour heard loud banging noises, went to investigate and found the house on fire.

“The fibreboard house was fully involved in flames when the first crew arrived,” said Senior Station Officer Ed Hindmarsh.

“We were told by the neighbour, who called us before we arrived, that the house was empty so we concentrated on attacking the fire from the outside.

“All areas of it were burning and conditions were already unsurviveable inside if there had been anyone in there,” SO Hindmarsh said.

FENZ sent three appliances and a support vehicle to the property situated on a back section opposite the Munro Street park about halfway along the street.

Most of the roof of the house collapsed and just the shell of it remains.

It was being renovated by contractors for Housing New Zealand.

“The fire damage was so severe it was even difficult to say whereabouts in the house it started,” said SSO Hindmarsh.

Specialist fire investigator Derek Goodwin started a scene examination this morning.

Fire crews remained at the house until around 7.30am dampening down the remains.

An appliance was sent back to the scene later in the morning to ensure the fire was completely out.

It was the second house fire in the Elgin area yesterday. At around 3.45pm a fire broke out in the kitchen area of a house in Totara Street.

“It was as a result of unattended cooking,” a senior firefighter said. “There was no one home at the time but a resident in the street heard smoke alarms going off and raised the alarm. Neighbours grabbed a garden hose and managed to contain the fire to the kitchen. They did a good job.”

The senior firefighter said the kitchen sustained fire damage and the rest of the house was smoke damaged.