A smouldering cigarette butt is believed to have ignited a garage fire in Papamoa last night.

Papamoa, Mount Maunganui and Greerton fire brigades were called to the Atlantic Close property at 9.40pm Sunday.

Papamoa Volunteer Fire Brigade deputy fire chief Brent Sandford says a 2m by 3m section of the garage was in flames when firefighters arrived.

The occupants of the house only became aware of the fire in the adjoining double garage after hearing some 'stuff” breaking, says Brent.

'They went outside and the tiles were falling from the roof onto the garage floor from the roof so that sort of alerted the occupants to the fire in the shed.

'We think it might have been burning for two or three hours before they realised.”

Brent says the fire is believed to have started by a discarded cigarette butt outside the garage, which spread to the roof and the inside the garage.

There were no smoke alarms in either the house or garage, and the occupants were lucky to become aware of the fire before it spread any further, says Brent.

Firefighters spent two hours dampening down hot spots.

There is a small amount of damage left to the wall.