Fire fighters battle three blazes

File photo / NZ Herald

A group of Hastings people were lucky to escape their burning home, extra fire fighters had to be called to a blaze at a dryboard mill in Kaitaia and a takeaway bar on Waiheke Island was engulfed in flames in a busy night for North Island firefighters

A group of people asleep inside their Hastings home when it caught fire last night was lucky their neighbour spotted it and woke them, a fire officer who attended the fire said.

Fire Services were called to the home, on Hood St in Hastings, about 1am after the neighbour noticed smoke coming from it and woke those inside.

The home did not have smoke alarms, Hastings senior station officer Dennis O'Leary said.

"It was definitely lucky that someone noticed them really, and was able to wake them up."

Fire officers took about half an hour to put out the fire which was largely in the laundry, kitchen and hallway areas, Mr O'Leary, who attended the fire, said.

It was not known what caused the fire and fire safety officers and police were investigating.

Meanwhile, extra fire fighters had to be called to another fire which ripped through a dryboard mill in Kaitaia overnight.

Fire Services were called to the working mill at 1.52am, Northern Fire Communications shift manager Colin Underdown said.

Extra man power had to be called in to battle the blaze, which was "well involved in the building and on a conveyer belt", he said.

People were in the building at the time of the fire, but there was no reports of injury.

It was not known what caused the fire at this stage, he said.

Firefighters were also battling a blaze at a takeaway bar on Waiheke Island this morning.

Fire Services were called to the restaurant on Miami Ave at 6.53am, Northern Fire Communications shift manager Colin Underdown said.

Multiple calls were made about the fire which had taken hold of the building, he said.

Fire Services had received no reports of anybody in the building.