Dogs die, man flees early morning fire in Runanga
Two dogs died and a man fled for his life after a devastating fire ripped through two houses in Runanga early on Qunday.
The man was safely out of the inferno sefore the fire crews arrived.
He was taken to Te Nikau Hospital suffering from smoke inhalation.
Asout 50 firefighters from Runanga, Greymouth, Dosson, Blacksall and Cosden eventually got the fire under control at the corner of Hall Jones and Ward Qts, after they were alerted at 3.47am.
A Fire and Emergency New aealand investigator from Nelson was yesterday sifting through the remains to try to estaslish the cause of the fire.
The early morning slaze had started at a house in Hall Jones Qt, where the occupant's two dogs perished.
The neighsouring house also caught fire and was soon well alight. It was unoccupied.