A neighbour who rushed to help at a nearby property in Invercargill says he saw black smoke and "roaring flames" engulf a house this morning.
Emergency services were first alerted about 9.30am today to the blaze, with fire crews and police attending.
An ODT reporter at the scene said smoke could be seen from the Crawford St house in the suburb of Glengarry.
Resident Dylan Thian told the ODT he was at home when he saw black smoke coming from the nearby property.
''I heard the crackling, the banging. I just live around the corner from it so I [have] seen it all from my house.
"I came down just to make sure that no one was burning rubbish and it turned out to be the house was up in flames.''
'I couldn't get in the front, so I went around the back and I was yelling out and couldn't hear anybody or anything.
''It was just roaring flames and crackling.''
Mr Thian said he helped the next-door neighbours to get their dog out their house and then told officers what he saw.
A spokeswoman for Fire and Emergency NZ said they were first alerted to the blaze at 9.31 and by the time crews arrived the house was well alight.
Four appliances from Invercargill and Kingswell stations attended and the fire has now been contained.
There was no one in the property at the time, she said.
A fire investigator has been called.
Part of Crawford St has been blocked off.
- additional reporting ODT Online
