Babies saved as fire engulfs home

Two young women and two children escaped a blaze which destroyed a Napier house in less than half an hour and closed the city's busiest thoroughfare last night.

The fire, in an older section of flat Napier where some homes are about a century old, was reported at 8.50pm.

Flames and smoke began pouring out of the house on a back-section off the hill side of Kennedy Rd, behind a bookshop and almost opposite Nelson Park School. Neighbour Marie Flynn was in her kitchen when she noticed the flames in her "peripheral vision," and she knew she had to move quickly to make sure no one was in danger.

"There are usually a lot of young people in that house, and I could see them going into the corner at the back," she said.

"I called out to them, the kids, to get out and asked if anyone else was in the house.

"Two younger people with two babies came running out."

Ms Flynn's daughter who called the Fire Service, with appliances from Napier arriving as smoke billowed on to Kennedy Rd, which was immediately closed between McDonald and Jull streets.

The house was ablaze and the neighbour said: "It was all just so quick."

Three Fire Service appliances and crews from the Napier station were used to fight the fire, which attracted large numbers of spectators.

Crews were still at the scene more than an hour-and-a-half after being called but the fire was mainly extinguished, with firefighters involved in turning-over the debris, salvaging and ventilating the property.

The Fire Service confirmed the occupants had escaped safely.

Ms Flynn's daughter was, however, treated for smoke inhalation to which she succumbed while she freed her foster-pets from an area of their property nearest the blazing home.