A Fire Emergency NZ fire investigator is at the scene of a Welcome Bay property this morning following a house fire and arrest of a male on Wednesday night.

A neighbour is reported to have saved a woman's life by getting her out before the entire house was engulfed by flames.

FENZ Northern shift manager Lauren Sika says they received an initial call about the fire at a house on Pennington Place at approximately 8.55pm, Wednesday, December 3.

“We attended a single-storey house fire, eight by 10 metres, while ablaze,” says Lauren.

“Our first truck arrived at 9.04pm.

“We had five fire crews in attendance, and two support vehicles from Greerton, Tauranga and Mount Maunganui.”

Lauren says the fire was extinguished by 9.46pm, with fire fighters continuing to dampen hot spots.

“Our fire investigator has returned this morning.”

Emergency services at the scene of the house fire in Welcome Bay. Photo: Cameron Avery.

A nearby resident says there had been a “major domestic dispute” involving a middle-aged man and a woman, “both heavily intoxicated” at the address.

“It escalated in the male assaulting the female, and the house getting set on fire,” says the neighbour.

“He hit her. We don’t know if she was passed out because he hit her or if she was passed out from the smoke.

“The male got himself out, but the woman was still inside and was overcome by the smoke, however a neighbour, she raced inside and saved the woman's life by getting her out before the entire house was engulfed by flames.”

“The male that assaulted the female was arrested and was put in the back of a police car, which left the scene after about an hour,” says a local resident.

Emergency services at the scene of the house fire in Welcome Bay. Photo: Cameron Avery.

Neighbours report that multiple emergency units attended the scene.

“We saw a lot of smoke and realised the house was on fire,” says a neighbour.

“The scene was amazing, I’ve never seen anything like it. It was off the charts, I’ve never seen so many fire trucks, ambulance and police. There were people everywhere.”

Police say they have arrested a person at the scene.

“One person has been arrested following a reported assault after a fire broke out on Pennington Place last night,” says a police spokesperson.

“The woman was transported to hospital in a serious condition.”

At the scene?

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