Hastings house fire: Quick-thinking neighbours grab hose, try to save furniture

Neighbours Diane Edwards (left), Ash Whitaker and Darcy Whitaker used a garden house to douse the flames of a house fire in Hastings. Photo / Warren Buckland

Quick-thinking neighbours took on a "roaring" blaze at a home in Hastings last night, getting out the garden hose and rushing in to make sure no one was home.

Firefighters arrived at the empty house and spent more than two hours battling the blaze on Willowpark Rd South, Akina, about 10pm.

Before emergency services arrived, neighbours Diane Edwards, Darcy Whitaker and his son Ash, who badly burned his hand, tried to save what they could.

Whitaker said the neighbours were concerned the fire was going to spread to nearby houses after it began "roaring up".

"I've been in a house fire before so I bolted to check if anyone was in there – but there wasn't," he said.

"I got the hose out, but by the time it was on the firefighters were here."

Firefighters spent more than two hours battling the house fire in Hastings on Tuesday night. Photo / Warren Buckland

With thick smoke emerging from the property, Edwards said the group did what they could to limit the damage.

"Darcy's son tried to grab as much furniture as he could to save it and burned his hand," Edwards said.

"Aware that if we opened the sliding doors it could've fuelled the fire, we quickly checked to make sure nobody, nor the dog, was in the house."

Fire and Emergency New Zealand confirmed nobody was in the property at the time, but the property was damaged.

The occupant of the house, who wished to remain anonymous, said her two pets had a lucky escape.

Hugging her rescue dog, the mother of three said she was due to leave her dog Sherman in the Hastings property while visiting her mother, but took him with her last minute.

"I usually leave him at home, but for some reason my mum told me to bring him over to hers," she said.

"My cat was in the house, but managed to jump out of a window, thank God."

The woman, who had lived in the house for five years, said she was devastated the house she raised her children in was in ruins.

Emergency services were called to house fire on Willowpark Rd South, Akina, about 9.58pm on Tuesday. Photo / Warren Buckland

Edwards said the woman was in a state of shock when she arrived home to see the house.

"She couldn't walk, she was numb," Edwards said. "Even I was shaking it was so intense."

Edwards added it was only right to try and help the small community of neighbours who have been there for her.

Police also attended the scene and assisted with traffic control.

Fire investigators were at the charred house this morning in an attempt to find a cause of the fire.