Faulty cylinder bursts into flames

A gas heater was burning fiercely with flames leaping about 1m when firefighters arrived at a Te Puke home at 8.50am on Saturday.
Te Puke Volunteer Fire Brigade chief fire officer Glenn Williams said the brigade arrived to find the burning heater on a deck outside an elderly woman's Boucher Ave home.
"It was quite spectacular when we got there and came out the back," he said.
The full "swapa" gas bottle had been attached to the heater the night before.
When it was checked by firefighters following the fire it was found to be leaking.
Mr Williams said the woman had managed to wheel the heater to the door and lift it outside, something he did not recommend. "She's lucky she didn't get burned in the process," he said.
Firefighters used the spray from two hoses to force the flames down so they could shut off the gas at the cylinder.
Mr Williams said it was important to have a heater checked if you noticed a strong smell of gas after turning the cylinder on. Do not light it.
Police were called to shut off Boucher Ave after motorists persisted in driving over full firefighting hoses leading to a hydrant on the road.
Firefighters were at the property for about an hour.