When Piri Kautai arrived at his Tokoroa home after a trip to the shops on Wednesday morning he found the house in flames.

“The fire people were putting it out,” Piri tells the Waikato Herald.

“The intensity of the fire burned a hole in the wall of the storeroom.”

Piri, 85, says the property has been in his family’s ownership since about 1958. Piri then spent 40 years living in Auckland before returning to Tokoroa.

“I came back in 2003. I’ve been here since and I’m the only occupier of the house.”

Piri says he wanted people to know he was safe and no one had been hurt.

“Tell the people that I’m safe and going on plan B,” Piri says.

“Luckily for me it’s covered by insurance.”

Piri says he was hoping to live in the garage temporarily.

“I want to make sure no one gets into the house,” Piri says.

“It’ll mean bathing down in the swimming pool and takeaways. But I’m 85 years old. I’ve got plan Bs and Cs and all that.”

“Luckily spring is approaching which helps.”

Piri says he’d been advised not to touch anything in the house until after an insurance assessment was made.

A Fire and Emergency spokesperson says crews went to a “well-involved” house fire after 11.05am.

”It’s since been extinguished,” the spokesperson says.”We still have two fire trucks in attendance and the fire investigator has just arrived as well.”

The spokesperson says there were no injuries reported.

Police are helping with traffic management at the scene.

-Waikato Herald