Blazes keep fire service busy
A woman was left with serious burns after fire engulfed a home in the Hamilton suburb of Fitzroy last night.
Five fire crews battled the blaze on Plateau Drive after receiving a call about 6.45pm.
A Fire Service spokesman said the injured woman had been transported to Waikato Hospital.
Meanwhile, Blenheim was hit by a series of suspicious fires, including one that threatened to catch hold of houses yesterday.
Two fire trucks and two police cars were called to a fire in Witherlea, about 4.30pm.
The blaze was metres away from homes bordering the Elmwood Ave entrance to the park, and residents used garden hoses to put the flames out before emergency services arrived.
The fire burnt a blackened patch about four metres by two metres beside a walking track.
Elmwood Ave resident Reg Tasker’s house bordered the entranceway to the park.
He was in the shower when his wife said she could see smoke over the hedge, Tasker said.
"So I jumped out and looked through the hedge and sure enough [there was a fire], so I grabbed the garden hose and ran over.
‘‘Lucky there was no wind or it could have come right up to the houses."
Blenheim Volunteer Fire Brigade acting senior station officer Carl Jackson said the fire appeared to be suspicious, but it was too early to say how it was started.
Police were still investigating the scene on Saturday evening.