A couple had to jump from their window through a wall of flames as an early morning blaze ripped through their inner-city Christchurch flat yesterday.
The sound of breaking glass woke Dana Webb and Kathryn Roy in their bedroom, directly above the lounge where the fire had broken out about 1 am.
The fireball that exploded through the living room window sent flames upward, lapping the frame of their bedroom window.
Mr Webb said his partner opened the bedroom door, but was driven back by flames that filled the room with smoke. "We just had to jump - it was our only option."
Ms Roy went first, landing painfully on the driveway.
Firefighters took about two hours to control the blaze.
The couple were recovering in Christchurch Hospital yesterday. Mr Webb had two broken heels while Ms Roy was more seriously injured, with a smashed vertebra, broken leg and cuts.
A charred guitar and a few photos were all that remained of their goods, which were uninsured.
- NZPA
Couple jump out of burning window
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