North Shore Times (New Zealand)
Three treated after house fire
Firefighters from Takapuna Fire Station attended a house fire on Waitangi Day which saw three people treated for smoke inhalation.
Senior station officer Mark Neville says the crew were called to a fire at a Glenfield address at about 11am. He says the fire started in the basement where a grinding tool was being used.
He says one of the home’s occupants tried to extinguish the fire using a small extinguisher but it spread to the upper level of the house through the internal stairway and an open door.
‘‘He was quickly overwhelmed by the heat and smoke,’’ Neville says.
While the rental had two smoke alarms installed, which did sound, that’s fewer than recommended, Neville says. The fire service recommends one smoke alarm in every bedroom plus alarms in along escape routes.
Neville says attempting to fight the fire may have cause a delay in dialling 111 and, as a result, the basement was fire-damaged and the rest of the house was smokedamaged.
Three of the occupants suffered from smoke inhalation but had evacuated by the time the fire service arrived.
Neville says the fire is a timely reminder that smoke alarms can save lives and reduce the injury from smoke. He says 111 should always be called, as soon as a fire starts. For more see fire.org.nz.