Trio escape as house burns

A house fire at Maungatapere is thought to have started due to a faulty electric garage door opener. Photo / John Stone

A Northland property owner could only watch firefighters try to halt the spread of flames through the family home from which she, her 8-year-old daughter and a friend had fled moments earlier.

The woman, who was extremely upset and in shock, was wrapped in a blanket on a neighbour's front lawn and was one of three who had fled from the Beverley Crescent house in Maungatapere just before 10am yesterday.

The woman's husband, the manager of a Whangarei appliance store, arrived home shortly after the fire started.

"There's nothing we can do ... at least they all got out all right. We're just trying to sort it all out now," he said.

The woman and her daughter sought refuge at a neighbour's house two doors away and support for them was quick to arrive. People with baking and others with hot drinks turned up to comfort the family.

Before the fire crews could get the blaze under control thick smoke billowed across State Highway 14.

But despite efforts by firefighters from four brigades, the top living area of the two-storey home was destroyed. While the walls were still standing the interior of the house was gutted. The fire started in the garage and quickly spread burning through the flooring into the top section. A boat in the garage was destroyed and a car parked outside was also extensively damaged. On the ground floor of the house the woman ran a cottage business called "Country Beauty" which offered massage, facials, waxing manicures and pedicures.

A wooden fence bordering a neighbouring property caught light and was burning for a short time only five metres away from another house. .

Sam Crompton, a neighbour in Beverley Crescent, was at a school athletics day just up the road when she saw the plumes of smoke.

"It was too close to home and I got here as soon as I could. We all know each other so we quickly knew whose house it was. I spoke to the girl who was there and they were upstairs when they head a loud bang and the garage door blow out," Ms Crompton said.

"They had no idea how it started. She said there were gas bottles and fireworks plus a fridge and freezer in the garage."

Fire safety officer Craig Bain said after inspection of the charred remains it seemed highly likely the fire had started as a result of a sparking automatic garage door opener. He said it was not uncommon and the electrical motor should be kept maintained.

Council building inspectors were concerned at the structural soundness of the building and it was likely the house would have to be demolished. Mr Bain said the family were able to recover some computer hard drives that had precious family photos on them.