Fire tears through Hastings home

FIRE: Police, Fire and Ambulance attended a house fire on Sussex St, Mayfair, Hastings yesterday evening. PHOTO / Astrid Austin

The quick thinking of a 5-year-old girl prevented a Hastings house from being burnt to the ground and saved the occupants from injury.

The blaze tore through a property on Sussex St, Mayfair, last night just before 7.30pm.

Neighbour Kelly Hopa said they contacted emergency services soon after they heard their children screaming at the sight of smoke and fire, as well as alarms sounding off in the street.

"Me and my partner and another woman tried to see if anyone was in the house and found that a guy and girl were still inside." Mr Hopa said.

He said they ran into the house and had to "drag the woman out", as both occupants had been "asleep at the time."

The Mayfair resident said 5-year-old Esmee Logan-Purcell was standing at the side of their house, two doors down from the engulfed property, and could be heard screaming "I can see smoke."

Esmee was still reeling from the shock and visibly traumatised by the incident, with Mr Hopa consoling her in his arms.

They were unsure of how many people lived in the house.

A Fire spokesperson said they received the call at 7.23pm and three appliances attended the scene.

She said there were initial reports that people were in the house, but all people were accounted for when they arrived and no injuries had been reported.

"It was a well-involved house fire," she said.

A police spokeswoman said they were assisting in traffic control and that all people had been accounted for.

A St John Ambulance attended the scene.

The cause of the incident was still unknown.