Marlborough Express - Weekend Express
House fire caused by pot on stove
A house fire that injured a woman and severely damaged her home was caused by a pot on the stove, fire investigations have revealed.
The house was well ablaze when crews arrived at the house on Hope Drive, off Wither Rd in Blenheim, about 5.45pm on April 7. A woman received serious burns, while two other occupants were uninjured.
Fire investigator Greg McLean said it seemed the fire was started by a pot on the stove, possibly containing burning fat or oil.
‘‘The fire is still under investigation at this stage ... but we know it was accidental, and caused through cooking on a stove.’’
McLean had assessed the house during his investigations and estimated up to half the house was severely damaged by the fire.
‘‘We just want to remind people of the dangers of not looking while you’re cooking. And never put yourself in danger trying to put a fire out ... If you have a stovetop fire, don’t try to remove it from the house, isolate the fire, put a lid or a board over the top and then leave the building, and call us.’’
McLean also expressed his sympathies for the woman who was injured in the fire.
‘‘We’re most concerned about her welfare and wellbeing, and that of her family.’’
St John Ambulance attended the fire, but the woman was airlifted to Wellington Hospital. A hospital spokesman said on Tuesday she had been transferred to Middlemore Hospital in Auckland.
Fire investigators were yet to confirm the cause of a house full of smoke in Rai Valley last week, between Blenheim and Nelson.
A single-storey house on Opouri Rd in Rai Valley was heavily smoke-logged when fire crews arrived just after 9.30pm on April 7, but a Fire and Emergency
New Zealand spokesman said there was no fire to extinguish.
The smoke was believed to be caused by a battery charger, but a fire investigator would inspect the house to determine the cause, the spokesman said last week.