Nine flee fatal house fire in Hamilton

PETER DRURY

Firefighters and police survey the scene of the large house fire on Holland Rd where one person died this morning.

A woman is dead and two young children are in hospital following a house fire in Hamilton early this morning.

Detective Senior Sergeant Karl Thornton of the Hamilton CIB said emergency services were called to the Holland Rd house shortly before 4am.

"After firefighters extinguished the blaze a person's body was found inside the house. As a result an investigation into this unexplained sudden death is now underway,'' he said.

A neighbour said two teenagers escaped the fire with two friends while two young children were taken to Waikato Hospital.

Waikato fire area commander Roy Breeze said about 12 firefighters with three trucks from Chartwell, Pukete and central fire stations responded and found the house well ablaze.

"Firemen were advised that there were originally 10 people in the house, but one of the occupants rescued two young children and the rest self-evacuated just in time,"  Mr Breeze said.

A section of Holland Rd remains cordoned off as police continue their scene investigation. Once completed, fire safety officers will begin their own investigation into the cause of the blaze.

The house was severely damaged after part of the roof collapsed and smoke could still be seen around hotspots at 7am.

- © Fairfax NZ News