Nearby workmen let dogs out as fire engulfs house in Napier

Firefighters were called to the blaze at a house on Squire Dr in the suburb of Awatoto. Photo / Google Maps

Nearby workmen have been thanked for their intuition after releasing a pair of dogs stuck in a property on fire in Napier on Wednesday.

Firefighters from Napier and Hastings were called to the blaze at a house on Squire Dr in the suburb of Awatoto about 1.40pm.

Hawke's Bay fire and emergency area commander Ken Cooper said three fire crews arrived to find the house ablaze, but had it under control.

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The houseowners were out at the time of the fire, which was thought to have been started by an electrical fault, Cooper said.

However their two dog remained on the property and workmen nearby had let them out as the fire began to engulf the house, for which the owners were grateful, Cooper said.

The fire had caused "significant damage" but the homeowners were "quite pragmatic" about the situation, he said.