Van sets garage alight

A sharp smell of burnt plastic was still in the air yesterday following an early morning fire which a Porirua woman saw engulf her garage and van. The homeowner, who asked to not be named, said she woke up to her husband saying there was a ‘‘light on the wall’’ about 3.30am. ‘‘I looked down the hall and saw flames,’’ she said. ‘‘I saw the house was on fire.’’ The pair grabbed their dogs, some clothes and managed to get safely out of the house which was built 10 years ago on Canary Way, in Whitby. The woman climbed over her neighbour’s fence and went to the road where she could see her property. Her neighbours had also been woken up by the blaze and had called emergency services. ‘‘I saw the van was alight and the garage was involved.’’ A Fire and

Emergency spokeswoman said the fire started in the van and moved to the house. Four fire vehicles from Porirua, Titahi Bay and Johnsonville attended the blaze.