BRIGHT AND CHIRPY: Titahi Bay volunteer fire fighter Carl Gardiner with a budgie found “chirping away” after a fire in Titahi Bay.
A budgie has been found chirping in a cage an hour after fire crews extinguished a blaze in a Wellington property early today.
Wellington Free Ambulance spokesman Daniel Paul said just one person, a 72-year-old man, was treated after the blaze in the three-flat Herewini St property, north of Wellington.
It is understood the man was pulled from his flat by a passing security guard.
”An hour after the fire was dealt with, a [budgie] in a cage was found in the house.”
The budgie was fine.
Fire communications spokesman Murray Dunbar said the property was well ablaze when fire crews arrived after 4am.
The fire reached two of the three flats.
Senior station officer Mike Rodgers said the fire started in the 72-year-old man’s flat in the top storey of the three-flat building.
The ceiling of the man’s flat collapsed during the fire.
The budgie was found “chirping away” in the bottom flat, which sustained only smoke damage.
The property had no monitored smoke alarms.
TOM HUNT – KENT BLECHYNDEN/Fairfax NZ
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