A person is in hospital in a serious condition after a van caught fire in Tairāwhiti overnight.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand said it received its first of multiple calls about a car fire in the Gisborne suburb of Outer Kaiti at 1.10am, central shift manager Alison Munn said.
On arrival crews had found a van “fully involved” in fire. The response was upgraded to a first alarm structure fire as the vehicle was close to a house, which had minor damage.
Two crews from Gisborne had attended the blaze, and a fire investigator would return to the scene this morning to determine the cause, Munn said.
Hato Hone St John was called to the fire at 1.20am and sent one ambulance, a spokesman said. One person had been taken to Gisborne Hospital in a serious condition.