Whakatāne man Aze Cooper acts fast, saves neighbours from fire explosion

Three brigades respond to the devastating house fire in Kopeopeo. Photo / Supplied

When Whakatāne man Aze Cooper heard the word “fire” on Thursday night, he sprang into action, throwing water on the flames and rescuing his neighbours from their burning house.

Cooper said he was in the shower at about 9.20pm when his partner began panicking and rushed in to tell him the neighbouring unit was on fire.

Fuelled by adrenaline, he ran out with a bucket of water to throw on the flames, but it was too late.

“I ran straight out of the shower and tried to extinguish the fire, but as I went to throw the bucket of water, the whole window and door exploded out.”

Three brigades respond to the devastating house fire in Kopeopeo. Photo / Supplied

Two residences were completely destroyed by the fire. Photo / Supplied

He said he did not realise his son was behind him, and both of them were forced back by the blast.

Cooper took his son to safety at the end of the driveway, with the rest of their family.

The fire started in a unit between two houses; all are situated on the same lot, next to Gibbos on King St.

As the fire spread to the front house, Cooper realised his neighbours had not evacuated.

Aze Cooper threw caution to the wind when he ran into a burning house to evacuate two of his neighbours. Photo / Supplied

“It was getting worse by the second,” he said.

His wife knocked on the door but got no answer.

“I knocked at their door real hard, but they didn’t answer, so I booted their door in, and I got them out of the house,” he said.

One person was sleeping, and another was gaming with his door shut and headphones on.

“Once I got them out of the house, the whole thing pretty much exploded.

“Basically, the second I got them out, the whole house went up in flames, including the bedrooms I got them out of.”

The Kopeopeo house was ravaged by fire. Photo / Troy Baker

Cooper said he was acting on instinct when he ran into the burning house.

“It was just an instinct thing. It wasn’t something that I planned on doing; it was something that just happened.”

All three units were extensively damaged by the fire, with Cooper’s the least affected.

Whakatāne, Ōhope and Kawerau fire brigades responded at about 9.50pm to the blaze.

Cooper said they arrived minutes after he entered the house.

A Fire and Emergency NZ spokesperson said the fire was under control by 11pm, with the last truck leaving the scene at 12.30am.