A fire investigator is examining a badly damaged house in Ross with another investigation to be carried out soon for a second West Coast blaze

The first fire at an unoccupied house was reported to Fire and Emergency at Aylmer Street in Ross at about 2.20am, followed by a derelict house burning on Queen Street in Westport just before five this morning.

A spokeswoman says the Westport house burned to the ground and fire crews are waiting to hand over the site to an investigator.

No one is believed to have been inside either of the houses.

The spokeswoman says there's no known link between the two fires and both causes are unknown.