Smoke alarms save Hamilton couple from likely 'double fatality': Fire and Emergency

A Hamilton man who was woken from a nap by smoke alarms dragged his sleepy wife out of their burning home and to safety this afternoon.

Firefighters from around the Waikato, including Morrinsville and Cambridge, were called in to help battle the blaze at the large one-and-a-half storey house on Koromatua Rd in Templeview about 3.15pm today.

Hamilton Fire Senior Station Officer Alban Osborne said thanks to working smoke alarms the couple managed to escape relatively unharmed, with the husband suffering minor "singe" burns.

Waikato fire safety officer Kevin Holmes said the couple were sleeping in separate rooms of the house when the husband was woken by the smoke alarms.

He got up to investigate and saw smoke wafting through a gap in the top of the door to the guest bedroom.

He went in and saw the dehumidifier on fire.

He then ran and woke his wife in a room at the back of the house and dragged her outside.

Firefighters battle a large house fire in Koromatua Rd near Templeview. Photo / Belinda Feek

Hamilton firefighters attack a house fire on Koromatua Rd yesterday afternoon. The blaze was caused by a dehumidifier catching fire. Photo / Supplied

The couple were both sleeping in the area of the house where the fire started and which was shortly afterwards reduced to rubble.

Firefighters remained at the scene damping down hot spots till late.

The fire destroyed about 90 per cent of the house, which is down a long driveway.

Osborne said it was a timely reminder about the importance of smoke alarms.

"Shows you that smoke alarms do work, otherwise it probably would have been a double fatality."

Fire and Emergency NZ communications shift manager Paul Radden said seven crews were still battling the fire and water tankers had to be called in due to it being non-reticulated.

Firefighters drew water from the swimming pool in the meantime.

Radden said the fire was well-involved when they arrived.

The large house was on a rural Hamilton property down a long tree-lined driveway. Tankers were called to the scene to help extinguish the blaze. Photo / Belinda Feek

The portion of the house where the fire started, to the left of the tree, was reduced to rubble with just the brick chimney now remaining. Photo / Belinda Feek