Neighbours flee as garage fire spreads

A garage fire quickly raged into an inferno that spread to another garage, two homes and two cars in a residential street overnight - forcing people to flee their homes.
Firefighters spent four hours at the scene after the fire broke out in Parkvale's Esk St.
It was just after midnight when 19-year-old Anjuel Tamaiparea noticed a bright light to the side of her outdoor deck area.
"I came walking out and there was fire on the side of the house," she told the Bay of Plenty Times today.
The fire engulfed a garage at the rear of the rental property.
Miss Tamaiparea instantly alerted her father, Mitchell Teaotonga, who was sleeping inside.
"It was one of those instant shocks," Mr Teaotonga said.
"I didn't know what to do. I went to put water on it but it wasn't enough, so I called the fire brigade.
"It was just a matter of three minutes from the moment it started to it ... engulfed."
Mr Teaotonga and Miss Tamaiparea live in the ground floor rental property of a two-story house. The fire spread to the upstairs property, badly damaging a kitchen area and leaving a large scar there this morning - showing how close the fire had been to taking over the building.
The upstairs tenants were understood to have stayed at a relative's home last night.
Mr Teaotonga said neighbours ran to help, using a hose to douse water on his car parked in front of the garage. The Subaru was destroyed in front of Mr Teaotonga's eyes.
A property next door was also damaged but was saved before it had a chance to ignite.
Landlord Bill Richardson, whose home is at the front of the property, said he was shocked when he looked out his window.
"When I looked out it was flaming out all over the place.
"There were flames coming out from everywhere."
The garage was joined on to another but a firewall stood between them.
"That fire came out and went back in to the other one," Mr Richardson said.
A car parked inside, belonging to the tenants from the upstairs property, was badly damaged.
Greerton fire service station officer Paul van Kol said when they got there the garage was "fully involved in fire, plus the car in front".
"The house just behind was just about ready to go. It had taken all the cladding off and gotten into the eves."
The fire is believed to have started from a television that was on stand-by in the garage, which was used as a sleep out.
Mr van Kol said it was important to always switch off televisions and other electrical devices at the wall.
He said electrical components inside appliances could heat up and ignite.
"It's not common but it does happen."