A house fire in Castlecliff has prompted further warnings about the need for smoke alarms.
Firefighters were called to a Hood St property just before midnight on Thursday to find the house well ablaze.
The woman occupant had fallen asleep on the couch and was fortunate to wake in time to escape given there was no working smoke alarm.
"The occupant was really lucky to escape," Wanganui Fire Service area commander Bernie Rush said. "The house was pretty much gutted."
Mr Rush said there had been eight fire deaths nationwide in the past two months compared with 13 for all of last year.
"Once again we've had a house with no working smoke alarm," he said. "Eight people have died in house fires since July 1 and, of those, all but one had no working smoke alarms - and the one that did, the alarm was in a different part of the house."
Mr Rush said it was a clear warning of the dangers.
Ideally smoke alarms needed to be fitted to all rooms including hallways and the Fire Service encouraged the use of new 10-year-life alarms which did not require a regular battery change. Yesterday, investigators were yet to confirm the cause of the Hood St blaze.
"We suspect a fault in the electrical motor on the refrigerator," Mr Rush said. The occupant was uninjured other than having minor smoke inhalation. "She was there this morning larger than life."
People who need smoke alarms or a home fire safety check should contact the Whanganui Fire Station on 06 3480103.