Firefighters work on controlling the fire. Robbie Allan and his fiancée were visiting Waimate for the day to walk to the White Horse Monument when they smelt something, then saw what looked like a fire behind the old homestead. Allan said he got his camera out to zoom in and noticed it was the house that was ablaze. He said it was about 2pm when they called emergency services. Soon after, they heard the Waimate Fire Station alarm sounding.
JOHN BISSET/Stuff
Smoke billows from the fire at Te Kiteroa in Waimate. Fenz communications shift manager Andrew Norris said when the first fire crews arrived at the property they discovered a fire in the roof of the large two-storey building.