CHARRED REMAINS: The fire-damaged flats from which a 72-year-old man was rescued.
A man has been charged with arson after a fire in a block of Housing New Zealand flats at Titahi Bay.
The fire destroyed the top unit of the block in Herewini St, where the arrested man, 41, is understood to have lived.
He has been remanded in custody to appear in the Porirua District Court next month.
Witness Trevor Norkett, 57, a security guard, was one of the first on the scene about 4.45am yesterday and found the top flat ablaze.
He kicked in the door of the middle flat, where he found a 72-year-old man and, with the help of a neighbour, got him out of the flat.
“I went inside, stood him up and got him walking to the door. When we got outside the flames above us in the top flat were huge. It was a raging inferno. We had to shield the back of our necks from the heat.”
He went back to kick in the door of the bottom flat, but there was nobody there. A caged budgie was rescued from the flat.
The 72-year-old was treated at the scene by Wellington Free Ambulance. Nobody else was injured.
Fire investigator Russell Postlewaight said there did not appear to be any smoke alarms or monitored fire alarms at the property.
Housing NZ regional manager tenancy services Jackie Pivac said the agency was working with tenants to ensure their housing needs would be met.
TIM DONOGHUE/KENT BLECHYNDEN/Fairfax NZ
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