Rescuers hurt as children perish in fires

By Simon Hendery and NZPA

Four children died in domestic fires in Otara and Central Otago at the weekend.
Manukau Chief Fire Officer Larry Cocker said the country had had 10 per cent of its average annual number of fire deaths in just one tragic weekend.

The fatalities began early on Saturday when Cheyenne Lui, aged 4, perished in a fire at a sleepout in Israel Ave, Otara.

Yesterday, brothers William Adam McNoe, 13, and Benjamin Ian Michael McNoe, 9, and their cousin Diana Rosemary Barry, 9, died in a house blaze in Cromwell, 64km east of Queenstown, about 1.35 am.

Elaine McNoe, mother of William and Benjamin, escaped the house with two of her children, Jamie, 7, and Rebecca, 5.

She could not find the three other children because of extreme heat and smoke.
Helen Barry, grandmother of all five children, said yesterday that she hoped the dead children were with God.

Mrs Barry said the fire went through the house very quickly. "She [Elaine] dragged Jamie out, but could not get back for the others. She had burned her hands on one of the doors."

Detective Gary Hyndman, of Cromwell, said the boys had been asleep in the front left room of the house and Diana was found in the back bedroom.

Police said Jamie had extensive burns to his body and Rebecca had burns to her hands and arms. Jamie was reported to be in a serious condition last night but Rebecca was progressing favourably.

The principal of Cromwell Primary School, Richard Scott, will contact the Special Education Service today for advice on how to handle such a tragedy.

He said it would touch every pupil at the school. Three of the McNoe children - Benjamin, Jamie and Rebecca - as well as Diana Barry attended the school. "We are all just stunned."

Fire safety officer Barry Gordon said the cause of the fire was not yet known.
Fire Service safety investigators looking into Saturday's Otara fire found an LPG cylinder - believed to have been burning when firefighters arrived - and cigarette lighters in the sleepout.

Cheyenne Lui died at the scene and his father's aunt was admitted to hospital with burns suffered when she tried to save him.

Investigators found a smoke detector in the house but none in the sleepout.
Mr Cocker said yesterday that he might run an education campaign to highlight the dangers of sleepouts.

This is a particularly popular type of accommodation in high-density areas of South Auckland. "We need to try and get smoke alarms into those sorts of places."

Mr Cocker said the fatal fire would give impetus to a three-month-old "ambassador" programme in which Plunket and other South Auckland community health workers had been asked to push the fire-safety message.

"We get them to give fire-safety advice when they are in the home - [for example] if they go into a home and see lighters on bedside tables or mum drying a cotton mattress in front of a heater."