Fifteen firefighters and five fire trucks responded to a residential property fire yesterday morning behind the National Sports Arena in Nikao.

The firefighters fought for about 30 minutes to put out the blaze. The two-storey home, which is believed to belong to a retired couple, sustained significant damage. No one was injured in the blaze.

Cook Islands News understands the property caught fire around 7.30am.

There were two tankers and a pump truck from the Teimurimotia Volunteer Fire Brigade, as well as a pump truck each from the Airport Rescue Fire Service and the Puaikura Volunteer Fire Brigade.

Teimurimotia Volunteer Fire Brigade’s Alistair Macquarie said he received the initial call at 7.45am before receiving confirmation from the Rescue Fire Service at 7.49am.

The two-storey Nikao backroad home sustained significant damage in a fire yesterday morning. MELINA ETCHES/23080239/23080240/23080241

The Rescue Fire Service truck was the first to arrive at the scene, followed by the Puaikura Volunteer Fire Brigade and the Teimurimotia Volunteer Fire Brigade tanker.

Macquarie said that by the time he got to the scene on the second truck, the fire was “well underway”.

The tanker was used to feed water to the Airport Rescue Fire Service and the Puaikura Volunteer Fire Brigade pump trucks, which fought the blaze. The remaining Teimurimotia Volunteer Fire Brigade trucks were used to supply water to the tanker.

Macquarie said the top floor of the house and front section of the bottom floor were “pretty much destroyed” in the blaze.

The volunteer firefighters left the scene after 11am and were called back again at 1pm after smoke was detected coming out of the top floor.

The Puaikura Volunteer Fire Brigade and Teimurimotia Volunteer Fire Brigade pump trucks responded to the call, as the Airport Rescue Fire Service was busy attending an incoming international flight, Macquarie said.

Cook Islands News has contacted Airport Rescue Fire Service for comments.

This is the second house fire in a week after a two-storey Avana home was partially destroyed on Monday last week.

Emergency services were called to the Kaireva Drive property in Avana shortly after 7pm on Monday.

It is understood to be the home of one of the paramount chiefs of Takitumu, Kainuku Kapiriterangi Ariki.

A witness told Cook Islands News no one was injured in the blaze as Kainuku Ariki and her husband had left their home as the top floor became engulfed in flames.

The Rescue Fire Service last week said the blaze was not being treated as suspicious.