Family flee only for gran to later die

Ten people escaped when this home caught fire.

Two grandparents and eight children escaped from a burning Northland house moments before it was engulfed in flames.

But the family's relief at surviving the blaze turned to heartbreak when the grandmother died later that night of a suspected heart attack.

Firefighters said neighbours played a big part in ensuring the family's survival by getting the children out of the house just in time.

The fire broke out about 10.15pm on Tuesday at Te Kemara Ave in Waitangi. Ricky Tangira had put his mokopuna to bed and was settling in for the night in the lounge at the rear of the house when he heard a popping noise from the roof. It sounded like fireworks or someone throwing stones on the roof.

He went outside to investigate and saw flames coming from the wall next to the chimney, so rushed back inside and woke his mokopuna, the youngest just three years old. By then flames were coming through the wall of the lounge.

About the same time neighbour Maraea Apiata heard a crackling noise next door.

"I looked out the window and saw the flames. Ricky was inside, waking everyone up and trying to pat the flames out. I ran into the house and got the kids out. They weren't sure what to do, they were all huddled in a corner at the other end of the house."

She was helped by her brother, sister and other relatives in the neighbourhood. Almost everyone on the street was whanau, she said.

The house was engulfed in flames moments later.

"It was scary, really scary. We'd just stepped out of the house and up it went," Ms Apiata said.

Two fire crews from Paihia and one from Kawakawa responded.

Fire risk management officer Michael Champtaloup said the volunteers did a great job, arriving just eight minutes after the alarm was raised and quickly brought the blaze under control.

When firefighters arrived one end of the house was fully alight but all 10 occupants were safely outside.

"The neighbours were instrumental in getting people out of the house. That was one of the deciding factors. It could've been a lot worse. It was pretty dramatic," he said.

The fire's sudden increase in size and intensity was a lesson in how quickly a blaze could spread.

"The neighbour said if it had been any longer they might not have got out. The speed of the fire took them by surprise," Mr Champtaloup said.

Another factor in their escape was the smoke alarms which he had installed two months earlier.

Yesterday's investigation focused on the area around the chimney. The fireplace had been in use for much of the day.

It was a reminder for people to get their chimneys cleaned once a year to avoid a common cause of winter house fires.

All the family were checked at the scene by St John. They then went to nearby Te Tii Marae, where Mr Tangira's wife died about 6am.

She was taken to Whangarei Hospital for a post-mortem examination to confirm her cause of death. The details of her tangi had yet to be decided at edition time yesterday.

The house, which is next door to Waitangi-Paihia Kindergarten, is owned by the Te Tii B3 Trust. The rear was gutted but the front, which was built as a post office in the 1920s and moved on site in 1960, sustained smoke and water damage only.