Suspicious fire destroys one Greymouth house and badly damages another

A fire that ripped through two houses in the West Coast town of Greymouth is being treated as suspicious.

It took 45 firefighters from around the region about two-and-a-half hours to put out the flames after the Alexander Street properties went up about 1.20am this morning.

Firre Emergency NZ southern communications shift manager Riwai Grace said the fire started in one house and then spread to next door.

One house was destroyed and the other seriously damaged.

Both were unoccupied, but two neighbouring houses needed to be evacuated and were scorched by the flames.

Mr Grace confirmed the blaze was being treated as suspicious and fire investigators were looking into the cause.