Fan started fire in Feilding

"This type of extractor fan has also been installed into other Manawatu properties and we have had no reports of issues." Housing New Zealand spokesman

The type of extractor fan believed to have caused a house fire in Feilding has been installed in more than 30 Housing New Zealand homes in Manawatu.

The Collins Cres state house, lived in by a family, went up in flames on July 11.

Fire and Emergency Service investigator Murray Kidd said the most likely cause of the fire was the extractor fan.

A Housing New Zealand spokesman said 32 extractor fans either the same or similar to the one from Collins Cres had been installed into its properties in Manawatu this year.

Nationwide, tens of thousands of bathroom extractor fans of all types had been installed in homes.

‘‘This type of extractor fan has also been installed into other Manawatu properties and we have had no reports of issues.

‘‘Our contractors routinely check these and other electrical items to ensure they are performing effectively and safely.’’

The 32 fans installed into Manawatu properties this year included a mixture of range hoods and bathroom extractor fans.

The spokesman could not say how many properties that involved, as, often, more than one extraction device went into a property.

The health and safety of its tenants was Housing NZ’S top priority, he said.

After the Feilding fire, Housing NZ arranged for the bathroom fans recently installed in the area to be inspected independently.

This investigation found all the fans were installed to a high standard, with no evidence to suggest any risk of fire.

There was also no evidence of product failure.

The Housing NZ spokesman said he had nothing further to add when asked about the extractor fan being ruled the probable cause of the Feilding blaze.

A father and his four children, one of whom was 3 months old, escaped the fire and spent the night with a neighbour before being put into a motel unit while another home was found for them.