Three hospitalised after fire destroys garage

A shed erupts in fire in Parkvale yesterday. Photo / Bruce Wilkinson

Three people were taken to Tauranga Hospital - one with minor burns - after a garage was gutted by fire in Parkvale.

The fire in the old stonewall garage at the rented Fraser Street property was prevented from spreading because of the quick response by fire crews.

Firefighters dampen down after the shed fire.

Greerton and Tauranga Fire Brigades attended as well as two ambulances following 111 calls from neighbours at 3.48pm yesterday.

Neighbouring residents told the Bay of Plenty Times thick black smoke billowed from the garage at the back of the house and across Fraser St near the intersection of Fraser and Oxford Streets.

An Oxford St resident, who did not wish to be named, said as her house filled up with smoke, her husband quickly closed the windows, they grabbed their children and fled the house.

When occupants at the Fraser St house were told their garage was on fire they did not believe it at first, then she saw a woman grab a garden hose to try to put it out, she said.

Bruce Wilkinson, whose house overlooks the garage, said as he stood at his back door about 30-40 metres away he could see the flames, thick smoke and felt the intense heat.

"I could smell burning and thought someone was burning rubbish in the backyard and then I could see thick black smoke and flames coming out of the eves of the garage.

"Within a couple of minutes the flames were also shooting up from top of the garage roof," he said. Mr Wilkinson said he could see some of the occupants at the house standing in the backyard, including one man who looked in shock and the fire brigade was on the scene within five minutes.

"I could see the firefighters pulling out mattresses from the garage and my immediate thought was I hope no-one was inside," he said.

Tauranga fire senior station officer Mark Keller said the cause of the fire was still being investigated.

Two occupants of the house were taken to Tauranga Hospital for observation due to smoke inhalation, including a woman who tried to put the fire out with a garden hose, while a second woman was also taken to hospital with minor burns after she tried to protect a car with a garden hose, he said.