INFERNO: The sleepout in Moore St in Carterton which went up in flames on Friday. PHOTO/ALWYN O'CONNOR WTA300514SUPPFIRE01
INFERNO: The sleepout in Moore St in Carterton which went up in flames on Friday. PHOTO/ALWYN O'CONNOR WTA300514SUPPFIRE01
Billows of smoke could be seen from hundreds of metres away down in High Street in Carterton as a sleepout went up in flames on Friday afternoon.
Three fire crews were called to the scene of the fire on Moore Cres at the south end of Carterton.
Carterton Senior StationOfficer Richard Epplett said two Carterton crews attended at 2.30pm and called for a third crew from Greytown, realising the fire was out of control.
"It was going about as well as it could," Mr Epplett said of the blaze.
About 15 firefighters attended the fire. Two crews had to don breathing apparatus.
Mr Epplett said the sleepout had been "completely gutted" by the fire but he said the crews had done a good job getting the fire out "very quickly" and making sure it didn't spread to nearby houses.
The fire was out when the Times-Age went to the scene just before 3pm.
Police were searching for the one occupant of the sleepout who wasn't home at the time of the fire.
