Man and his dog saved from house fire

A fire that has left a Tokoroa carpenter in a critical state in hospital ignited in the kitchen, where something was left cooking.

It appeared the man fell asleep in the bedroom on Friday night while a fire sparked on the kitchen stove top and slowly took hold.

He was found by Tokoroa firefighters slumped over the bed, unconscious and covered in soot.

His crossbred black-and-tan pup Molly was discovered unconscious in the hallway.

‘‘The fire started in the kitchen and the resident was in the bedroom, overcome with smoke,’’ Fire Investigator Jon Rewi said.

‘‘I’m absolutely positive it was unattended cooking on the stove top.’’

There were smoke alarms throughout the house.

Rewi said the volunteer brigades did an incredible job, racing through the smoke-clogged house to first rescue the man and then the dog.

The volunteer crews had arrived at the house around 7.45pm to find neighbours concerned about the resident, Tokoroa Fire Chief Dave Morris said. ‘‘We were alerted by neighbours that there was a male occupant who was not seen coming out of the house.’’

Wearing breathing gear, firefighters quickly began searching the property, which was full of smoke with flames in the kitchen and lounge.

St John took the rescued man to Tokoroa Hospital, where he was met by a waiting helicopter and flown to Waikato Hospital.

A hospital spokeswoman said on Saturday morning that he remained in a critical condition in the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit.

When the firefighters found Molly, she was unconscious but breathing in the hallway, Morris said.

‘‘The dog was gasping for air, absolutely full of smoke inhalation.

‘‘They managed to carry her out of the house and on to the back lawn, where they administered first aid and oxygen.’’

An on-call vet from South Waikato Veterinary Services was called and Molly was taken back to the vet clinic, where she was given oxygen for the next two hours, veterinarian Rebecca Fone said on Saturday.

‘‘The dog is doing really, really well. We’re keeping her at the clinic until we know what is happening with her owner.’’