A person has died in a large blaze which collapsed the roof of a Paeroa commercial building this morning.
The incident occurred in a two-storey jewellery factory and residential building in central Paeroa about 1.20am.
The large building was well alight when 11 fire crews arrived, fire service northern communications spokesman Jaron Phillips said.
One person was found dead in a residential section of the building after a search was conducted, he said.
"While firefighters were trying to contain the fire, the roof collapsed."
Other flats adjoining the premises were evacuated and no one else was hurt, he said.
There was a scene guard on the property and a team of specialist fire investigators will start off investigations this morning.
St John Ambulance attended the blaze about 1.30am to treat a critical patient but no transport to hospital was required.
No identifying details about the person who died have been released.
Meat Man employee Derek Paul said the smoke was thick throughout the town in the early hours of the morning.
The Belmont St shop sits directly across from the commercial and residential building which was engulfed in flames about 1.20am.
A delivery driver for Meat Man couldn't open his windows as he drove through town, Mr Paul said.
"He had to drive right around instead of straight through the middle and he couldn't even open his window up because smoke was so thick.
"We're straight across the road from it but the front looks the same from here."
Customers had been talking about the incident all morning and couldn't believe someone died in the blaze, he said.
Police had cordoned off the building and were still on site, Mr Paul said.
