Newborn foal rescued

Whanganui firefighters started off their Wednesday morning reuniting a newborn foal with its mother.

Neighbours in Terrace St, Aramoho, called the fire service at 8.21am after they noticed the mare in distress over her foal, which had fallen in a drain, senior station officer Bryce Coneybeer said.

"It probably hadn't had its first drink. Its mother was going mental.

"One of the boys hopped in the drain and lifted it out . . . it was happy as to get out of there."

Firefighters were also busy on Tuesday night with two vege-tation fires - one at South Beach and one at Castlecliff Beach - as well as a smoke-logged house on Tinirau St.

Mr Coneybeer said the Whanganui East resident fell asleep while he had chips in the oven, about 11.20pm.

The house was "very smoky" when firefighters arrived, but no one was harmed and there was no structural damage.