'We're alive and nothing else matters' - Family safe after bedroom fire

Firefighters travelled about a kilometre from the Whangarei Fire Station to douse a fire that gutted a bedroom of a Mill Rd home. Photo / Kristin Edge

Members of a Northland family are thankful to be alive after their home of 25 years was ruined by a fire.

Ajilikee Daniels was half asleep in bed in her Mill Rd home when she awoke to a strong smell and the sight of thick black smoke.

It was the beginnings of a fire that "completely gutted" the front bedroom of the Whangarei house about 6am yesterday.

"I could smell it and I opened my eyes and the room was filled with this thick black stuff. It took me a while to realise what it was because I couldn't see any flames.

"But once I knew I grabbed the hand of my daughter, who was fast asleep, and ran out."

Ms Daniels had screamed to her mum and dad, who were in another room, that the house was on fire and everyone had escaped safely. By that time smoke alarms were screeching.

The family believes the fire started in a cupboard in Ms Daniels' bedroom where she was sleeping with her 7-year-old daughter.

Whangarei Senior Station Officer Corey Matchitt said the cause of the fire was being investigated.

Ms Daniels' mother, Pam Disalveo-Katsotis, said they had lost everything to smoke damage in the four-bedroom house, including her car which had been "completely melted".

She said she was talking to her insurance company to see what could be covered but sentimental items would be irreplaceable.

"We've lost all my husband's photos from when he was in Greece as a Navy boy and there were photos of his kids.

"But we're alive and nothing else matters," she said.

The fire was the second serious blaze in 24 hours in Northland. On Wednesday at 4.30pm a blaze gutted a Dargaville home.

Fire investigator Terry Baylis said he believed the fire was started by an electrical fault in the garage.

"The lady has come home opened the roller door of the garage, saw smoke, and all that fresh oxygen set it off and the house was fully involved in fire."

Mr Baylis said the house had working smoking alarms which would have been key in saving lives if anyone was home.

With clocks going forward an hour this Sunday for daylight saving Mr Baylis said it was a good reminder for people to change the batteries in their smoke alarms, check they worked, buy smoke alarms and create escape plans.

"Buying a smoke alarm is much cheaper than a funeral director's fee," Mr Baylis said.