Booze-affected resident owes life to fire hero

A Fire Service spokesman said the man would probably be dead were it not for the selfless actions of Mr Hughes. Photo / Northern Advocate

A Rotorua man is alive today only because a stranger kicked down the door of his burning home and dragged him to safety.

Emergency services are praising Northland man Cameron Hughes, 23, for his courage and quick-thinking.

Not only did he save the man's life, but he dashed back to get his clothes off the washing line - fearing they might be the only ones he had left.

The fire broke out, possibly because of an overloaded multibox, about 8.40pm on Saturday in a one-bedroom semi-detached property near the corner of James and Elizabeth Sts.

The resident, a man in his 20s, was inside the flat, which did not have smoke alarms.

A Fire Service spokesman said the man had been drinking, and would probably be dead were it not for the selfless actions of Mr Hughes, who was visiting a neighbouring property.

Mr Hughes said: "I just knew he wouldn't get out and thought I had to do something, I couldn't let him burn."

The rescued man was suffering from severe smoke inhalation and spent Saturday night in Rotorua Hospital's intensive care unit. He is expected to make a full recovery.

Mr Hughes, a logging crew foreman from Taupo Bay, about 60km east of Kaitaia, said he was first on the scene after coming to Rotorua for the holiday weekend to visit friends.

"We were outside and I could smell smoke so I went to see where it was coming from.

"I could see plenty of smoke and flames coming from this place so I went up and started banging on the windows to see if anyone was in there."

Mr Hughes said he could see curtains moving and then a man's face appeared at the window.

"He didn't look too good so I smashed the window so he could get some air, then ran around to the front door and kicked it in.

"I took a deep breath, got my bearings and just jumped in, grabbed him and yanked him out.

"He was unconscious by then and looked pretty buggered."

Mr Hughes said he hoped someone would do the same for him if he was in trouble. "I'm glad to hear he's going to be okay."

The 23-year-old said he spent the rest of his Saturday night retelling his story to friends.

"My mates reckon I'm the man. They have even given me a new nickname, 'The Legend' ... I kissed a few girls, too. It was a pretty good night."

Senior Station Officer Richard Anastasi said a witness told him the house erupted in flames moments after the resident was pulled out of it.

"He was very lucky. If he [hadn't been pulled out then], we would have been looking at a fatality," Mr Anastasi said. "He had severe smoke inhalation and was taken to Rotorua Hospital by one of our units.

"The young man who pulled him out definitely needs some recognition. Not too many people rush into a burning house to save a stranger's life."

Mr Anastasi said the fire should serve as a warning to other residents not to overload their power points, to have working smoke alarms installed and to take care while drinking alcohol.

A hospital spokeswoman said the injured man was in a satisfactory condition and had been moved to a medical ward. He should make a full recovery.

- APN