Body found in Auckland house gutted by fire

Castor Bay resident Lindsay Mouat took this photograph of the house ablaze in Taumatua. Photo:...
Castor Bay resident Lindsay Mouat took this photograph of the house ablaze in Taumatua. Photo: Supplied / Lindsay Mouat

A body has been found inside an Auckland home on the North Shore that was gutted by fire.

Fire and Emergency were called to Taumatua Road in Castor Bay just after 10pm yesterday.

About 20 firefighters were needed to put the fire out and when able to go into the house to conduct a search, they found a body.

Fire and Emergency said it didn't know what caused the blaze yet, but two fire investigators are returning to the scene this morning.

Police had a scene guard at the property overnight.

An Auckland resident who saw the fire said the home had been destroyed.

Lindsay Mouat, who lives in the area, saw the fire when he returned home about 10:30pm.

He said some of his neighbours, who had called Fire and Emergency, were standing outside watching the fire.

"There was this massive fire against the night sky - there is quite a lot of bush area around the location," he said.

Daylight revealed the extent of the damage.

"All we can see - the roof is still there but the house is completely destroyed. At one stage we actually thought there was a second property but it is actually a rather large house.

"That's just horrific… as we were standing and watching we were just hoping there was nobody there, it's an awful scenario," he said.

"It's very sad, whatever the circumstances it must be dreadful."

The last fire truck left the scene about 3am.

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