UPDATE 11.20am: A Tauranga man who was cleaning windows "ran in" to a burning house to save his neighbour this morning.

Simon Williams says he was outside window cleaning when he saw smoke coming from a nearby house.

"I saw smoke coming from the ranch slider upstairs. I saw my neighbour standing there, she looked like she frozen in shock," says Simon.

"I ran in to the house to bring her out. It looked like she didn't know where to go."

Photo: Supplied/SunLive.

A SunLive reporter says fire and emergency, police and ambulance are at the scene.

Earlier, smoke filled the streets nearby as residents and workers came outside to see where it was coming from.

Photo: Supplied/SunLive.

EARLIER 10.39am: Smoke can be seen billowing from a house fire in Tauranga.

A SunLive reporter says a two storey house is is on fire on Mission Street, near the corner of Cliff Road.

A caller to the 0800 SUNLIVE news hotline says there is a "tonne of smoke" seen coming from the fire when travelling over the Tauranga Harbour Bridge.

'Two appliances are in attendance at a fully involved house fire in Mission Street,” says FENZ Northern Shift Manager Carren Larking.

'We were called to the fire at 10.35am.”

People are being asked to avoid the area.

SunLive is working on getting more information and will provide an update when we can.

At the scene?

Call 0800 SUNLIVE or email photos to newsroom@thesun.co.nz