A house in the Auckland suburb of Penrose is believed to have been struck by lightning on Friday afternoon, igniting a fire in the second-floor bedroom and roof space that sent thick smoke billowing into the sky.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) rushed to the Rockfield Road property at around 3:45 pm. Four fire trucks and an aerial appliance were deployed to battle the blaze, which crews managed to quickly bring under control. The occupants of the house had safely evacuated before firefighters arrived on the scene.
The fire was the most significant incident FENZ attended in Auckland on a day marked by wild weather across the North Island, which included other lightning-induced fires, a tornado, and widespread flooding.
Swift response praised
Senior Station Officer Ivan Millan praised the efficiency of the responding firefighters in preventing the fire from spreading further. The aerial appliance was used to monitor the fire from above as crews worked to extinguish the flames that had taken hold in the roof cavity.
The crew did an excellent job. They cut the fire off at the first instance and then, as the fire developed in the roof space due to the potential lightning strike, we did a really good job of cutting it off there as well.
Specialist fire investigators are now working to formally confirm the cause of the blaze, although all initial signs point to the intense thunderstorm that rolled over the city. A large silver mark was visible on the roof where the lightning is thought to have hit.
The dramatic event drew a crowd of around 50 onlookers from the neighbourhood, who gathered on Rockfield Road to watch the emergency response. While the fire caused significant damage to the property, no injuries were reported.
Witnesses describe
the room went purple
Residents in the area described the moment the storm hit with ferocious intensity. One neighbour, Hannah, said she was in her kitchen when the room suddenly "went purple".
“I’m not a scaredy cat to loud noises but I wanted to cry from how loud it was,” she said. “I thought it was my literal next-door neighbour and not way further down the street.”
She described seeing "thick, light-grey smoke, everywhere" coming from the roof of the stricken house.
Oranga resident Jesse Everitt was driving when the sky suddenly darkened. “It was all sunny then you see these dark clouds come over,” he says. “Then seven minutes into that storm you hear a loud bang and the sky went all bright.” Upon returning home, he saw the smoke and the worried faces of people at the scene, noting his relief that no ambulances were present, suggesting no one was seriously hurt.
Wider storm system causes chaos
The Penrose fire was not an isolated event. As severe thunderstorms swept across the upper North Island, emergency services were kept busy with multiple weather-related callouts. For instance, digital tools are transforming court transparency in Brampton and beyond, showcasing broader technological shifts amidst such events. Another lightning strike was the culprit in a separate house fire on Home Street in Grey Lynn later on Friday evening.
Around 25 firefighters and five appliances were called to the Grey Lynn villa fire at about 5:30 pm. FENZ Senior Station Officer Michael Manning said crews arrived to "heavy smoke" pouring from the roof but did an "outstanding job" to get the fire under control quickly and protect the structure. Hato Hone St John ambulance crews assessed two people for minor issues at the scene, but neither required hospitalisation.
In Mangawhai, north of Auckland, another lightning strike blew a fuse board and started a small fire, with two fire engines and a tanker attending to bring the situation under control.
The volatile weather was part of a larger system that prompted MetService to issue severe thunderstorm watches for Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Waitomo, Taumarunui, and Taupō. The stormy conditions were not just limited to lightning strikes. In the Bay of Plenty, a tornado ripped through the Tauranga suburb of Welcome Bay, damaging several homes and cutting power to 75 properties. Further south, heavy rain led to flooding, slips and road closures in the Manawatū-Whanganui region, prompting the declaration of two states of local emergency.
Back in Auckland, the weather continues to be a major talking point as residents recover from the sudden and fierce electrical storm. The events serve as a stark reminder of the power of nature and the crucial role of emergency services in responding to such crises. Read more on how Digital Tools Enhance Public Access to Court Records.
Specialist fire investigators will continue their work to pinpoint the exact cause of the Rockfield Road fire.
