A Rotorua family have lost all their possessions after fire ripped through their home, but have been praised for their actions to escape safely.
Firefighters were called to the rental property on Clayton Rd about 5.45am yesterday. The occupants were a mother and four children - two teenagers and two under 10 years old.
The woman did not respond to Rotorua Daily Post enquiries yesterday but she received high praise from firefighters.
"The room of the fire was usually where mum slept but she stayed last night in the lounge watching a movie on a mattress with the two younger children," fire safety investigator Stuart Bootten said.
"[The mum] thought she could smell something and got up to have a look. She couldn't see anything so opened the bedroom door and saw the fire. Smoke came out of the room into the hallway and set the fire alarm off."