A near-new dehumidifier is being blamed for a fire that razed a remote Northland home and took the life of a 92-year-old woman.
Winifred Coxshall died in the blaze on Te Tio Rd in Umawera, 45km southeast of Kaitaia, after family members tried in vain to rescue her when they were woken by their dog barking about 2.10am yesterday.
Volunteer firefighters from Okaihau and Kaikohe drove through thick fog to the rural house and fought the flames with water from a nearby pond, but the flat was already well ablaze.
Fire investigators sifting through the charred debris of the two-bedroom home said a dehumidifier had caused the fatal blaze.
The woman's daughter and son-in-law, who lived less than 400m away, said they had bought the appliance less than six weeks ago.
"Because she was elderly we got a dehumidifier so she could breathe easier and now look what's happened," her son-in-law said.
The mother of two, originally from England, had moved into the granny flat last September and was "as mobile as she could be for her age".
Her family regularly visited her during the day and had seen her the night before the fire.
Three smoke alarms had been fitted in the house last July as part of the Northland Fire Service's Te Kotahitanga project but it was unclear wether they had been operating correctly.
Fire investigator Craig Bain said the dehumidifier was in the bedroom and lounge area in the centre of the house, and would have been very toxic when it ignited.
He said there was little left of the appliance except scorched metal and what looked like the motor. He was considering sending the remnants to Energy Safety to be examined.
Energy Safety is a Government agency responsible for electricity and gas safety in New Zealand, and examines electrical goods involved in fires. Spokeswoman Julie Allen said the age of the appliance would be taken into consideration and much of the investigation hinged on how badly damaged it was.
In the past, such inspections had detected faults and prompted voluntary recalls of some items.
Mr Bain said it was a timely reminder not to leave electrical appliances on overnight or for extended periods. Having an escape plan and knowing how to escape a burning home was also important.
The Te Kotahitanga fire safety project has been operating in Northland since 2001 and has installed 67,716 smoke alarms in 19,510 homes.
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