A family with children staying in emergency housing at Takapuna on Auckland’s North Shore have lost everything after their house went up in flames yesterday.

Fire crews were called to the house on Anzac Street near Barrys Point Rd about 6.30pm.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) said in a statement the blaze was well involved on arrival and transmitted a second alarm for second resources.

“It was a single-level dwelling, approximately 15m x 25m, and five trucks were on scene at the height of the fire.”

Crews had been tackling the fire from outside the house due to the risk of the structure collapsing.

The sudden fire in a house on the corner of Barry’s Point Rd and Anzac Ave in Takapuna, Auckland. Photo / Suzanne Innes-Kent

An NZME staff member who was nearby said neighbouring houses were evacuated and the street was cordoned off.

The property manager of the house told the Herald he wasn’t there when the fire began but his staff members started to notice black smoke and immediately called 111.

He believes a barbeque gas bottle in one of the rooms caused the fire.

“One resident told me they were cooking noodles in the room.

“There is no gas in the house, only electricity. They weren’t supposed to be cooking anything with gas in the room.”

He said a woman with four or five kids and a single tenant had been living in the house.

“The family was not home when the fire happened. They haven’t come back but we spoke to them yesterday and they are okay now and have found a place to stay with friends.”

Firefighters were called to the house fire on Auckland's North Shore on Saturday night. Photo / Susie Nordqvist

He said they are looking to help them with financial support, alongside people across social media.

“It’s very sad news, people lost everything.”

One woman who lived in the house for eight months in 2020 said the house was divided up into four separate rooms for different tenants.

“It was one big house but it had been turned into four separate rooms. Each living area had a big spacious lounge and bedroom, a bathroom each, and a kitchenette. Kind of like an open studio apartment,” she said.

“When I was living there, three different women were living there with their children.”

Fenz said fire investigators attended the scene and it was not believed to be suspicious.