A fire that ripped through a Greerton house on Thursday, launching thick smoke into the air that was visible from central Tauranga, has left its occupants, including a 73 year-old-woman, without a home.
Three people safely evacuated the two-storey house on Kiteroa Street in Greerton after it had ignited at about 4.30pm.

The scene inside the living area of the Greerton house significantly damaged by fire.

Tauranga fire safety officer Ken McKeagg believes hot embers from a fire box inside the house sparked the blaze.
He says a 73 year old woman living at the house was "poking around" with the fire, causing embers to come out.
"She's 73 years old. Her memory might not be as good as it was. She may not have realised the embers had come out," says Ken.
The elderly woman lived at the house with her daughter, her daughter's partner and another female tenant.
Ken says it is very easy for hot embers to cause a house fire and is warning people to keep all items at least one metre away from fireplaces and have a fire guard installed.

"Once fire takes hold, it can go through a house like a dose of salts."
Greerton station officer Jonathan Preston says the fire was "well involved" when they arrived.
"Flames were coming out of the windows. There was a very big column of black smoke," says Jonathan.
Fire destroyed most of the second storey of the house, but did not reach the lower level.
It took fire fighters 30 minutes to contain the blaze, but a further three hours to dampen hotspots.
Fire fighters say the house is uninhabitable and the four people who lived there are now staying with friends and family.