A man has died following a house fire at Parihaka in South Taranaki early this morning.
The Rahotu and Opunake volunteer brigades were called to the settlement at 2.45am.
While firefighters were tackling the blaze the man died in a medical event not directly related to the fire.
It is not yet known whether he lived in the home, which was badly damaged.
Police have referred the death to the coroner.
