Fire victim still in serious condition

Rangitihi Tamati (right). Fire investigators check the remains of the house, but say the blaze was not suspicious. Photos / Alan Gibson, APN

A teenager who suffered burns to 70 per cent of his body in a Rotorua house fire remains in a serious condition in hospital.

Rangitihi Tamati, 14, is in Auckland's Middlemore Hospital after the fire at his Fordlands home at the weekend.

He was burned on his head, face, arms, chest and back in the fire shortly before midnight on Saturday.

Rangitihi was taken to Rotorua Hospital but later transferred to Waikato Hospital and then to Middlemore.

A Middlemore Hospital spokeswoman said Rangitihi remained in a serious condition but was stable.

Family members did not want to speak yesterday.

Rotorua Boys' High School principal Chris Grinter said the school community was thinking of Rangitihi and his family.

"It clearly is a tragedy, the situation before us. Our thoughts and best wishes are with the young man and his family as he struggles to overcome his terrible injuries.

"I guess, at the moment, it's just a case of hoping everything works out.

"We're mindful that he needs good support and our thoughts at this time,'' Mr Grinter said.

"We're holding our breath and hoping that young man can overcome.''

Fire Safety Officer Stu Craddock said the fire started in the kitchen from cooking. From there, it spread into the dining and lounge areas.

Mr Craddock said there were no working smoke alarms in the Fordlands property.

Rangitihi's father, Frank Tamati, was seen running out of the house with his baby, Edwina, in his arms before Rangitihi dived through a window, cutting his back and arms.

Emergency services were called to the house just before midnight after reports a person was seriously hurt and three others, including a baby, were trapped inside.

The house was fully ablaze when firefighters arrived and it collapsed not long after.