Police and fire investigators at the Salvation Army on View Road in Henderson after a suspicious fire, where firefighters rescued a person from inside the building.
A person trapped by fire has been saved in a dramatic rescue after a suspicious blaze at a West Auckland church.
The person suffered critical injuries in the fire, which broke out at the Salvation Army on View Rd in Henderson just after 10pm.
Smoke was coming from the buildingwhen the first crews arrived, with bystanders reporting a person was trapped inside, Henderson senior station officer Michael Manning said.
“We could hear the person inside calling for help. We’ve done a size-up around the building and then put the firefighters inside.”
He said conditions in the entry area were not too bad, but the main body of the fire was in the centre of the building in the kindergarten area.
“They’ve done an excellent job and they’re doing an interior cut-off – so holding the fire back – and have rescued the person.”
The Salvation Army church was cordoned off and ventilated so fire investigators could determine the fire's cause. Photo / Hayden Woodward
Firefighters did a high risk “snap rescue”, meaning “life is in imminent danger and we need to go and get the people now … If we don’t do something now, the people are likely to perish”.
“We’ve got to put some pretty strong control measures around it, but it’s what the staff do, right?” Manning said. “We all risk our lives in a highly calculated manner to save other lives. And that’s what the boys have done for us this morning.”
The fire reached a second alarm, with seven crews from across West Auckland attending. They left the scene around 1.45am, with specialist investigators remaining on site all night, northern shift manager Paul Radden said.
The patient was taken to Auckland Hospital in a moderate condition, according to St John.
When Manning spoke to the Herald last night, crews were still salvaging and overhauling the interior of the building and ventilating it.
Gas detectors were being used to ensure carbon monoxide levels were low enough for investigators and police to get inside.
A suspicious fire broke out at Henderson's Salvation Army church last night, trapping a person inside. Photo / Hayden Woodward
Earlier, another person suffered moderate injuries in a fire in nearby Avondale, with around 40 firefighters attending.
The fire was on the first floor of a four-level St Georges Rd apartment complex, and was reported by an automatic alarm system, Fire and Emergency said.
A person was reported inside and was rescued. St John said they were treated with moderate injuries and did not need to be taken to hospital.
Ten fire engines, including an aerial unit, were in attendance, with a ladder truck called from Parnell after the first broke down. The fire was contained to the apartment.
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