Man alive after Levin standoff ends in fire
The man at the centre of a standoff that triggered the evacuation of 80 residents from a Levin neighbourhood was found alive after emergency services extinguished a fire which broke out at his home last night.
Bledisloe St had been cordoned off since Thursday as specialist negotiators spoke with the man, who was barricaded in his home and reportedly threatening to self-harm.
A fire broke out about 7pm yesterday but shortly after 10pm police said firefighters had doused the flames and found the man alive inside.
He was being checked over by paramedics and would be taken to hospital for further treatment, police said, adding that his dog was also being cared for.
One resident earlier told the Weekend Herald she had not even had a chance to go home after work on Thursday when police told her she was being evacuated from the area.
“I told the cops my husband was at home and they said [he] had to leave — so he just jumped in the car. We thought it would just be an hour, so we didn’t grab any of our stuff.”
Another resident, Diane, chose to sleep in her car on Thursday night, alongside her husband, as the pair had thought the situation would be resolved by dawn. They managed two hours’ sleep, turning the car heater on every now and then for warmth.
Horowhenua District Council mayor Bernie Wanden said yesterday that while the situation had been challenging, it was rewarding to see how quickly the council and community had mobilised to support people.
All of the evacuees had been either placed in accommodation or were staying with friends last night.
Earlier this week police attended another incident on the same street.