A raging fire at a residential property in Masterton has almost completely destroyed a sleepout, although the occupants escaped unharmed.
Fire emergency services received a call at about 7.15am on Friday alerting them to smoke on Essex St, and two trucks and two crews responded.
Masterton Station Officer Andy Simpson said the crews arrived to find the building already engulfed in flames.
“When we pulled up, it was totally involved with fire,” Simpson said.
The responding crews responding – a mix of volunteers and career firefighters – rallied to douse the flames in about 20 minutes.
However, extensive damage had already been done to the building, which Simpson said isn’t likely to be salvageable.
“It’s got to come down, it was probably 80 per cent damaged and destroyed.”
It is unclear who alerted emergency services, but Simpson said it was likely to have been a neighbour or a passer-by.
The occupants were home but got clear without injury, as the main house was not attached to the sleepout.
Simpson confirmed that, fortunately, no one was inside the affected building at the time of the fire and said there was no evidence there were working smoke alarms, “certainly not by the time we got there”.
The brigades left the site at about 8.30am, after ensuring the fire wouldn’t restart.
The cause of the fire couldn’t be confirmed by Simpson, who said an investigation is taking place.
Police also attended the scene at about 7.15am and confirmed enquiries are ongoing.
