Razed house uninsured | Northland News | Local News in Northland

The Northland family whose home was destroyed by fire  this week was uninsured and they had only just paid off the mortgage, a fire officer says.

Fire broke out in the isolated Pinehill Rd home, near Waiotemarama in South Hokianga, at 4.45am on Tuesday.

Five people - David and Barbara Bhana, their two teenage children and a young grandchild - were asleep when a smoke alarm activated.

The house was remote, difficult to access and the heat had melted a nearby water tank. A modest shed was all that could be saved.

Fire safety officer Lindsay Murray inspected what remained of the three-bedroom house but could not make any definite conclusions about the cause of the fire.

It had started at the end of the hallway but the family said no clothes drier or other appliance was turned on at the time. One possibility was that vermin had chewed through electrical cables, causing a short-circuit.

The home owners were uninsured and had just paid off their mortgage. "So they're a bit gutted," he said.

 But if a smoke alarm had not woken the family, firefighters could have faced the grim task of recovering five bodies, Mr Murray said.

A fire a few hours later  badly damaged a villa on Dargaville's main street.

In that case it was clear the fire had started around a chair in the lounge.

Fire safety officer Craig Bain said there were three possible causes - a faulty plug, an accidentally discarded cigarette or a child playing with matches or a lighter.

Four people fled the house via a bedroom window after they were alerted by a two-year-old boy.

The house was equipped with a smoke alarm but it did not activate. It was unclear yesterday whether that was because it was faulty or simply needed new batteries.