GUTTED: A family sits across from their home after fire gutted the property.
MAARTEN HOLL/ Fairfax NZ
A Porirua family has escaped with the clothes on their back and a few personal items after a fire gutted their home tonight.
As firefighters worked to quell the last of the hot spots, the family including several young children, sat on the footpath. A computer among their saved possessions.
Neighbours reported seeing thick smoke pouring from the wooden home on Maher Pl and ran to help.
June Rameka along with her husband, son and nephew, battled through the black smoke and urged the family members still inside to get out.
“The smoke was so thick it was making us cough. We could hardly see the family inside but they were trying to save a few items. I yelled ‘this place could go up at any time’ and to just get out,” she said.
“And just as I said that, the flames really shot up and there were some small explosions.”
Porirua senior station officer Trevor Sheehan said it appeared some basic fire safety messages had been ignored.
“It looks like unattended cooking may have been to blame and there were no smoke alarms,” he said.
“It should be everyone’s New Year resolution to have working smoke alarms,” he said.
-Dominion Post
NEIL RATLEY
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