Children playing with a lighter caused a fire in a bedroom in Napier yesterday.
The Napier Fire Brigade attended the incident, which occurred in a two-storey Marewa residence, at 3.16pm.
Senior station officer Jamie Nichol said no one was injured in the blaze, which was caused by children playing with a lighter in a bedroom.
The fire could have been more severe if not for quick thinking and a working smoke alarm, he said.
"The fire was contained to the bedroom because the occupant closed the door, which was really, really good.
"By closing the door the fire slowed right down and they minimised the risk."
It was important for everyone to have smoke alarms and regularly check they worked, Mr Nichol said.
"They've got to be working - that's what alerted the occupant."
As soon as the adult occupant heard the alarm the children were taken out of the bedroom, the door closed and emergency services alerted.
Lighters and matches should always be put away in places that could not be accessed by children, to prevent such incidents, Mr Nichol said.
"Children shouldn't be playing with lighters.
"They shouldn't be left lying around."
Firefighters with two fire appliances spent 45 minutes dousing the flames.
"We've gone in with a hose reel and one crew with breathing apparatuses."
The bedroom had a "fair bit of smoke and heat damage" but the rest of the house had minimal smoke damage.
The dwelling had three occupants - one adult and two children - at the time of the blaze.