A 22-year-old woman and a three-year-old girl are dead after a house fire in a Horowhenua town overnight.
Another woman who escaped from the house was believed to be the girl's mother. The dead woman was not believed to be related to the child. Firefighters were called to the house on Hulke Street, Foxton, 39km southwest of Palmerston North, about 2.15am, and had extinguished the blaze by 3.30am.
On arrival, firefighters began a search after being told there were people in the house.
They located the woman and child in the front bedroom of the single-storey wooden house, Manawatu assistant area fire commander Rodger Calder told the Manawatu Standard.
"They removed them from the house and administered first aid, but unfortunately they were too late," Mr Calder said.
"The guys did a terrific job but unfortunately (it) was too late. It's really sad and the guys are pretty cut up about it. When you work that hard, work your butts off and have that outcome it's not a good feeling."
Foxton Chief Fire Officer Gary Stratford said it had been a rough night for everyone involved.
"We virtually knocked out the side (of the house) so entry could be gained and then basically discovered them."
Mr Calder said it was not clear what the cause of the fire was and fire safety inspectors were investigating.
"We're unsure if smoke alarms were in the house so we'll be following that up," he said.
Foxton Community Board chairman Basil Vertongen told NZPA the town would be devastated by the tragedy.
"It's a very sad sort of thing, for a small community to lose two people," he said.
"In that street, everybody would know one another."
Mr Vertongen said the community had not lost anyone in a fire for a very long time.
