Hamilton house up in flames after oil left on stove

He had hoped to have fried oysters for lunch.

Instead, the Hamilton man's Housing NZ home went up in flames after he forgot he'd put a pot of oil on the stove.

The man, who was still covered in bits of ash and didn't want to be named, could only stand at the fence of his Banbury Ave home and watch as massive black plumes of smoke went up into the bright blue Hamilton sky this morning after the oil caught fire.

He said it all happened within a couple of minutes from putting the oil on.

"It was so fast, I couldn't believe it. About three, four minutes. I just came outside and forgot about it. F***," he said. "I forgot that I put it on."

The occupant talks with a firefighter as his Banbury Cres, Hamilton, goes up in flames this morning. Photo/Belinda Feek

Firefighters get into the home to dampen down flames.

Fortunately, just he and his daughter and her baby, were home at the time and they all escaped quickly thanks to the smoke alarms.

He was outside checking on the rest of the oysters, which he had spread out on a table, preparing them for cooking when the alarm went off.

He said the family did not have any insurance in the home, which was owned by Housing NZ.

Hamilton senior station officer Steve McSweeney said they received multiple calls to the 10.50am blaze.

The kitchen area of the home and its charred remains. Photo/Belinda Feek

The man was hoping to fry up some oysters for lunch, but forgot that he'd put a pot of oil on the stove. Photo/Belinda Feek

The fire was contained to the kitchen and laundry but the rest of the house was smoke damage.

He said the fact everyone escaped safely reaffirmed the importance of smoke alarms.

Firefighters would stay at the scene dampening down hot spots, he said.