A fire investigator says a house fire in central Auckland which claimed the life of an elderly woman and six of her dogs was likely caused by an electrical failure.
An image of the fire which was Tweeted by Vaughan Davis who lives two doors down from the property. Photo: Twitter
Neighbours raised the alarm when they saw flames coming out of the house in Ponsonby in the early hours of Friday morning.
Fire safety officer Mike McEnaney said the damage was largely at the back of the house near to the dining room area.
He said it was unclear, due to the extent of the damage in that spot, what objects were there and what could have sparked the electrical failure.
Mr McEnaney said he would be returning to the house this morning and speaking with some people who both knew the woman and had visited her there.
