House 'not livable' after fire in Balclutha

Four people had to evacuate from a house in Balclutha after the roof caught fire this morning.

Firefighters were called to the villa at 2.25am, a Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) spokesman said.

Three crews, from Balclutha, Milton and Kaitangata, battled the blaze for 30 minutes. The fire was deemed under control by 2.55am, he said.

The four occupants of the house escaped with no injuries, but police had been called to arrange alternative accommodation as the house was not in a livable state, the spokesman said.

The cause of the blaze had not been ascertained, but a fire investigator was en route from Invercargill.

Fenz remained at the scene to ensure there were no hot spots which could reignite the fire.