'I'll never use candles again,' says fire survivor

SHIRLEY Martin-Gate may have nearly lost her life, but the main thing she was concerned about losing was her precious 34-year-old Bible.
The Aramoho resident had just got back from an unveiling on Saturday evening and thought she would rest her weary head. She used a candle to work her way around the house before lying down.
A pre-pay power user, Ms Martin-Gate had run out of money and didn't think it was worth the hassle of putting more money on, because she was supposed to sleep at her daughter-in-law's.
Falling asleep nearly proved deadly when her candle, placed in a plastic cup, fell over and caught fire.
She counts herself lucky that her Housing New Zealand home had smoke alarms.
"Everything was going all at once. I woke up and walked outside in my nightie and was yelling, 'Help, help'." Her house was almost full of smoke by the time she ran outside.
One of her neighbours heard her cries and called emergency services.
Ms Martin-Gate was also thankful her 34-year-old Bible survived the incident, which was only inches from where the fire started.
"I had the Bible on the end of the table and it never got burnt. It was right beside me, not far from the bed." After getting a rather large fright, she has vowed never to use candles again.
Genesis had also been in touch to tell her they are taking her off pre-pay and installing a meter.
"It's been chewing up the power. I've had to borrow money off my family to keep it going."
Wanganui Fire Service senior station officer Bryce Coneybeer said the small fire could have been "disastrous".
He advised people to put candles in decent candle holders.
CAPTION: Holy smoke! Aramoho resident Shirley Martin-Gate is a staunch believer in smoke alarms after they saved her life on Saturday night. Her grand-children, (left) Melissa Cribb-Manihera, six, (seated) Crystal Cribb-Manihera, seven, and Cay-Cee Cribb, two, are also thankful their "Nan" lived to tell her tale. Cay-Cee holds Ms Martin-Gate's 34-year-old Bible, which miraculously survived the fire.