Whangārei residents woken by neighbours as their Kensington house catches fire

Whangārei firefighters were called to the scene of a house fire in Kensington at 2.40am on Tuesday. Photo / NZME

Neighbours were quick to wake the sleeping occupants of a Whangārei home as a blaze took hold of the house.

The fire started in an enclosed deck at the rear end of the single-storey house on King St, Kensington, around 2.40am on Tuesday.

Whangārei station firefighters hurried to the scene and it took four fire crews to bring the blaze under control.

Fire investigator Craig Bain said a neighbour had spotted the fire at the back of the house and rushed to the property to wake the four adults asleep inside.

The group safely escaped thanks to the quick actions of their neighbours.

"Just as they were heading out the smoke alarms went," Bain said.

Smoke alarms were installed throughout the home.

But Bain said the location of the fire meant it would've taken "a little bit of time" before they were activated.

Half of the house had been destroyed in the blaze – including the living area. The Advocate understands improvement works inside the home were only completed over the weekend.

The cause of the fire was still under investigation. Bain said there were a "couple of possibilities" as to how it started but more time was needed to determine the exact cause.

The house fire was an important reminder for people to make sure they had working smoke alarms, and to create and practice an escape plan.

"Especially at this time of year," Bain said.

According to Fire and Emergency New Zealand, people have three minutes to escape a house fire before it becomes "unsurvivable".

"Once you're out of the house, stay out. Never go back inside.

"Remember to let the arriving firefighters know whether you are all safely out or if there's anyone missing."

On July 30, a young family who had only recently moved to the Mid North lost everything they owned in a house fire.

The blaze - thought to have been caused by a cellphone charger that was left switched on - broke out just after 10am on Ripi St, Kaikohe, and spread quickly into the roof cavity and through the weatherboard house.

The fire was put out by two fire crews from Kaikohe and one from Ōkaihau.