Brave neighbour helps save man's life during Hastings house fire

Hastings resident Dave Schuster being treated in hospital after helping save his neighbour's life. Photo / Supplied

A quick thinking neighbour has helped save a man's life during a Hastings house fire.

The blaze started in the kitchen of a home on Avenue Rd West about 9.30pm on Wednesday, and led to a man in his 50s being taken to Hawke's Bay Hospital in a serious condition.

It is understood he suffered from smoke inhalation and the hospital confirmed he remained in a serious condition on Thursday.

A neighbour, Amber Schuster, said she could smell smoke that night and went outside to check where it was coming from.

She then heard smoke alarms blaring next door.

Her husband, Dave Schuster, jumped into action and went into the smoke-logged home while she called 111.

A picture of the blaze on Wednesday. Photo / Supplied

"He opened the front door and the whole house is just full of smoke," Amber said.

"He ran in there... and he saw the light from the fire coming from the kitchen."

She said it appeared the extractor fan on top of the stove was on fire.

"[Our neighbour] was passed out on the floor in front of the fire, so my husband picked him up and said 'we have to get out'.

"He managed to get him up and got him out onto the front lawn with me and my other neighbour who were looking after him."

Firefighters managed to confine the blaze to the kitchen. Photo / NZME

Amber said the home was split into two units and there was another three people asleep inside the two units, whom her husband woke up and helped outside.

"If we didn't go out there it could have been so, so bad," she said.
"It just spread so fast."

She said the fire spread to the ceiling and flames were coming out of the roof just before firefighters arrived.

"The firefighters got there within four minutes [of me calling] so they did amazing and they managed to put it out."

She said her husband Dave "just went into hero mode".

"I am so proud of him".

Dave was also treated in hospital that night as a precaution but was feeling better on Thursday.

Fire and Emergency NZ Hawke's Bay district assistant commander Darren Clark said it was a good reminder for people to check their fire alarms and make sure they were working.

He said the fire was contained to the kitchen area.

Clark praised the work of firefighters who were quickly on the scene and put out the blaze with a hose. Two fire trucks attended from Hastings Fire Station.