Fire guts Kaiti home

A woman who lived in one of two adjoining residences in De Lautour Road was taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation yesterday morning after fire gutted its interior. Picture by Liam Clayton

A residence in De Lautour Road in Kaiti was severely damaged by fire yesterday morning and the woman living there suffered smoke inhalation.

Fire and Emergency NZ sent two appliances to the property at around 8.30am. Police and St John were also called.

The fire started in one of two adjoining residences between Wainui and Rutene roads.

“One of the properties was well involved in fire when we got there,” a senior firefighter said.

The fire crews were able to get inside the burning building and using low pressure deliveries had the fire under control in about half an hour.

“It was a house that had been separated into two dwellings and the fire wall between them stopped a lot of the fire spread,” the firefighter said. “There was only smoke damage to the neighbouring residence. But the residence where the fire started was gutted and part of the roof had collapsed.”

A woman who lived there was taken to Gisborne Hospital by ambulance.

She was suffering from the effects of smoke inhalation.

“We were concerned to hear that the woman had gone back inside the burning building,” the senior firefighter said.

“She was outside again by the time we got there.”

When The Herald went to print last night there was no update available on her condition.

The fire cause and whereabouts in the residence the fire started is under investigation.

Fire crews were there for a couple of hours and returned to check on the building later in the day.