Toddler dies in house fire in Hamilton

Police cordon off the scene of the blaze. Photo / Alan Gibson

Police have hailed as heroes a group of men who smashed their way into a burning house in Hamilton to save three people.

The fire claimed the life of a three-year-old boy. The boy's brothers, aged 18 and four, and their mother are in hospital.

As the inferno engulfed the house on Karen Crescent in Dinsdale just before 11am, a neighbour heading home from an outing with his sons jumped a fenced and smashed a window to get to the 18-year-old and four-year-old boys.

"It was a bit of a shock," George Paekau said. "The flames were really big."

Three others men raced in to help him.

Mr Paekau told One News: "I pretty much jumped the fence, and ran down to the back window, heard some kids crying. Ended up smashing the bedroom window and getting out the oldest boy and the second youngest baby."

He added that the smoke made it difficult to see.

Detective Senior Sergeant Ross Patterson hailed the men's heroic actions. "There were some real heroes today."

A St John spokesman said the boys' mother, aged 35, was in a critical condition in Waikato Hospital, and the two boys in a serious condition.

The house where the three-year-old boy died today. Photo / Alan Gibson