An electrical fault in an old television has been identified as the cause of a Tamatea house fire. Photo / Tari Curtis
An electrical fault in an old television has been identified as the cause of a Tamatea house fire. Photo / Tari Curtis
An electrical fault in an old television has been identified as the cause of a house fire in Napier that has left a family homeless.
Emergency services were called to the home on Wynyard Cres, Tamatea, about 6.10am on Tuesday.
Four fire crews from across Hawke's Bay arrived at thescene to find the house "well ablaze", with smoke so intense it was visible from Taradale's Dolbel Reserve.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand Hawke's Bay area commander Ken Cooper said a mother and five children were inside the house at the time of the blaze.
Cooper said the fire was caused by an electrical fault in a television over 10 years old that was left plugged in overnight.
"The family are very fortunate they had working smoke alarms that allowed all the kids to escape in a timely manner, as the fire rapidly spread causing significant damage to the property," he said.
"Televisions aren't a high cause of fires unless they are older units. But we are working with the family to assist them with the recovery to help the family get over this dramatic incident."
Initial checks suggest the fire started in a bedroom.
A woman and five children managed to escape the house fire unscathed. Photo / Mary Brophy
Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities Hawke's Bay area manager Andrew Cairns confirmed the fire occurred at one of their homes.
Cairns said their team met with the tenant soon after the fire to discuss potential housing options while damage to the property is assessed.
"Whenever a fire of this nature happens, our first priority is the health and safety for our tenants," he said.
"We make immediate contact with them to identify what support they need, including other housing options, including potential relocation to a new home."
Cairns said they remain in close contact with the family "at this difficult time".
"We also note whānau are helping support the family too," he added.
A police spokesman said the fire was put out by firefighters by 7.10am.
Nextdoor neighbour Mary Brophy said she was alerted to the blaze when the dogs on the road "were going nuts".
"Nobody was hurt, but the house went up in less than 10 minutes. The iron roof burnt too," she said.
