By then, however, the wall was already on fire and there was nothing she could do.
The first 111 call was at 10.46am; when the Kaikohe Fire Brigade arrived eight minutes later the house was already burning fiercely with flames shooting from every window.
From 8am to noon on Saturday, fire safety officer Roy Brickell, with help from Kaikohe's volunteer firefighters, will show members of the public around the burnt-out home. He has made the house safe and cleared a path through the debris, but otherwise it has been left as it was after the fire.
Fire and emergency staff would be there to answer questions and provide information. They were also hoping to arrange home safety visits, which included smoke alarm installation, for other families in the area.
"We want people to come and have a look at the devastating effect of fire and how fast it can spread in a domestic building. The family was stunned by how quickly it all happened," Mr Brickell said.
He hoped the open home would lead to more people installing smoke alarms for early warning of fires, better knowledge of home escape planning, and the importance of having a safe meeting place and calling 111 early.
The home owner and the insurance company had agreed to the open home.
The solo mother and the two children who were home at the time escaped unhurt. A puppy, however, was not so lucky, and the family lost all their possessions apart from the clothes they were wearing.
After the fire Kaikohe-based health provider Te Hau Ora o Ngapuhi appealed for donations of clothing, bedding and kitchenware. Operations manager Ebony Prime said the response had been "awesome" and the family now had everything they needed. There could be a fresh appeal for help if they needed more items once they had a new home to move into.
■ The open home will be held at the corner of Monument Rd and Tuhuna Rd from 8am to noon on Saturday, November 25.
