Blaze leaves mum devastated

Jesse Browning spent the morning shovelling through ashes trying to find what was left after a fire, caused by an electrical fault, destroyed his mother's home. Photo / Michael Cunningham

After a fire destroyed a Whangarei home, friends and family spent the morning shovelling through ashes to save what was left.

Jesse Browning received a call about 1.15am yesterday to say his mother's house, just around the corner from his, was on fire.

"I came over and there were flames coming out and it was full of smoke," Mr Browning said.

"Mum's gutted. It's a whole 60 years of stuff. My older brother passed away around five or six years ago and all his photos were in there, we're lucky heaps of people had photos of him. I've got some at my place."

Seven units from the Ngunguru Fire Brigade and Whangarei Fire Station rushed to the house on Ngunguru Rd where crews spent about four hours containing the fire, on the corner of Kopipi Cres.

Ngunguru Chief Fire Officer Chris Gibbs said the fire started in a bedroom.

Everyone managed to get out safely and one person was taken to hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.

Special fire investigator Craig Bain said the blaze was caused by an electrical fault within the wall cavity.

"They were very lucky to get out," he said.

There were three people home at the time of the fire - Mr Browning's mum, his friend Dan, who was boarding with her, and Mr Browning's nephew. He said his mum had rented the house for four years.

"Mum was out on the lawn [last night] devastated."

Yesterday Mr Browning and a group of about nine friends and family spent the day shovelling through the ashes trying to save what they could.

"We're looking for mum's jewellery and all the sentimental stuff."

Mr Browning said they tried everything to help contain the fire.

"Dan tried to use the fire extinguisher, it was all up the wall so we tried putting the hose in the window."

Despite the devastating fire the group still managed to retain a sense of humour.

"What was funny is Dan slept butt naked so he was running around with a naked bum in front of mum," said Mr Browning.