Fifteen fire trucks attended a major blaze at an old, abandoned homestead in Māngere last night.
Emergency services confirmed that there were no people inside the burning house.
Neighbouring marae, Papatūānuku Kōkiri posted images of the fire, with reference to the homestead being over 100 years old.
The 1.2 hectare property on the corner of Robertson Road and Bader Drive is currently under Panuku Development Auckland. They confirmed that the house has been vacant since June 2013.
Property Portfolio Manager at Panuku Development, Margrit de Man says the site has been a target of vandalism in the past, and a security fence with warning signs to keep off the property have been in place to try to prevent further damage.
She says these will be reinstated when the emergency services have completed their investigations.
de Man confirms prior to this incident, Panuku had expected to complete the renovation of the property in the first quarter of 2018, however, the timeframe may now be impacted on depending on the extent of the damage.
According to the Auckland Council website, the property is currently valued at $4 million.
Police say the investigation into the fire is continuing and that they are in the process of reviewing CCTV footage and speaking to witnesses.
If anyone has any information that could help our investigation, please contact Counties Manukau Police on (09) 261 1300. Alternatively, information can also be provided anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.