Man seriously injured in house fire

A man has been flown to Waikato hospital with burns to his face and body after the Turangi house he was sleeping in was engulfed in flames early this morning.

The 65-year old was woken by another person in the house and the pair then helped another occupant escape from the Te Hei Place property.

The man was flown to Waikato Hospital by the Youthtown Helicopter Trust at about 4am and a spokesman said he had suffered burns to his face, arms and torso.

A Waikato Hospital spokeswoman said the man was in a serious condition, and was undergoing surgery today.

Another person had reportedly suffered smoke inhalation.

Turangi chief fire officer Tong Kingi said the house was "well involved" by the time the fire service arrived, with the flames starting at the back of the house and "moving rapidly forward".

The three people inside were "lucky that they were alerted and able to get out quickly", he said.

Fire investigators were at the scene this morning, trying to determine the cause of the fire, which appeared to start in a bedroom.

Mr Kingi described the one storey house as "unliveable" and would likely have to be condemned.

- © Fairfax NZ News