A house in rural Hawke's Bay has been gutted by a blaze which has raged for more than 24 hours.
Hastings Civil Defence declared a state of emergency in the area on Monday, fearing strong winds would further intensify the fire.
Before it could be controlled, it caused massive destruction.
Around 130 hectares burned on Waimarama Rd, destroying a family home.
It had been built by hand by the man who lived there and now, only rubble remains.
His mother, believed to be in her 70s or 80s, was the only person home at the time. She was forced to escape through the flames, running down the driveway to safety.
Around 20 other houses were evacuated in the area.
The large blaze threatened nearly 200 hectares of forest near Hastings, but after a huge effort all five fires across the district are now under control.
"There's probably the best part of 100 respondents on the fire ground today, with as many people in support through various organisations," incident controller John Sutton told Newshub.
Newshub.
