A fire chief has praised the quick actions of a Mount Maunganui electrician who saved a neighbour's home from being gutted by fire yesterday.
Firefighters were called to the Aintree Place home, which did not have an active fire alarm installed, about 3.25pm.
A neighbour, who did not want to be identified, said he first saw the smoke from across a reserve, where he lived.
The man said he had run across the field, jumped a fence to the property and found a garden hose to start putting out the flames.
He had also turned off the main electricity supply to the house.