Truckie saves gran from blaze

A passing truck driver who carried a 91-year-old woman out of a burning house is being hailed as an unknown hero in Taupo¯.

The drama began when 14-year-old Daisiah Porteous woke to a bright orange light outside her window at 2.30am yesterday.

‘‘I opened the curtains and saw the fire,’’ she said.

Her brother Titan saw flames on the second-storey deck of the Armstrong Grove house.

‘‘We got the hose and started spraying the deck – but it was too late,’’ the 15-year-old said.

‘‘Me and Pop got trapped in the back garden, so we had to jump the fence.’’

The whole second storey was engulfed in flames – and Titan’s great-grandmother was still in a downstairs room.

Luckily, a truck driver on his way to Hastings saw a glow on the hillside from the lake, Titan said.

‘‘He kicked down the door downstairs and got our greatgrandmother out – put her over his shoulder like a fireman.

‘‘We don’t know who he was,’’ Titan said. The fire brigade arrived moments later, he said.

All five occupants of the house made it out safely.

Titan’s father, Marcus Porteous, said four generations had grown up in the hilltop house.

‘‘It’s sad to see it how it is now. ‘‘But everyone’s in one piece and everything else can be replaced.’’

Titan said he was surprised to be handed his Samsung Galaxy cellphone by a fireman.

‘‘It had been in my bedroom and was all black. But I turned it on and it was fine.’’

Neighbour William Fraser called the fire brigade after smelling smoke.

‘‘I couldn’t sleep that night anyway, and I was confused about the smell,’’ he said.

‘‘The first thing I did was call the fire brigade.’’

Fire Service Lakes District assistant area manager Hamish Smith said four fire trucks and 24 firefighters attended the blaze.

A fire investigator was assessing the property, he said.

‘‘He had a preliminary look around last night [February 7] so he will be continuing his investigations into the incident.’’

Smith said it was a timely reminder to have smoke alarms, as it didn’t appear there were any smoke alarms on the property.

People who need advice on smoke alarms should contact their local fire station.