The Heke St house was "burning end to end" and fanned by a 20-knot wind when firefighters arrived. Photo / Peter de Graaf
The Heke St house was "burning end to end" and fanned by a 20-knot wind when firefighters arrived. Photo / Peter de Graaf
A top firefighter says a Northland man saved his partner's life by dragging her out of a burning house.
Kaikohe fire chief Bill Hutchinson said the couple was "very, very lucky" and doubted either would have survived if they had been in the inferno a minute longer.
The alarm wasraised about 12.15am on Sunday when the male occupant, who was in a sleepout at the rear of the property, was woken up by heat. His partner had been asleep in the house.
"He could hear her screaming. He jumped out off bed, ran around the house and managed to get inside and get her out. I've got no doubt in my mind that he saved her life. And I'd suggest he was lucky to get out himself," Hutchinson said.
"It was a near miss. I honestly thought there would have been people lost in that one."
A second crew was roused from bed to fight the fire and a truck was also dispatched from Kerikeri. The crew heading back from the crash arrived at Heke St just five minutes after the first Kaikohe fire truck.
"It was a total loss of the property. They were very, very lucky. Another minute and those people wouldn't have been able to get out," Hutchinson said.
The Advocate understands the couple is currently staying in a motel in Kaikohe.
Their five young children were staying with their grandmother on the night of the fire.
A community relief effort is underway in Kaikohe to find them alternative accommodation and replace their belongings. The family lost all their possessions.
