Resident suffers smoke inhalation

The 16 elderly residents of Kaeo rest home Kauri Lodge were evacuated at 3am yesterday after a switchboard caught fire and filled the building with acrid smoke.

One resident, who had to be rescued by a firefighter wearing breathing apparatus, was taken to Bay of Islands Hospital for observation after suffering smoke inhalation.

While the evacuation went to plan and damage was limited, the emergency highlighted the Kaeo Fire Brigade's on-going shortage of volunteers, with just three firefighters available.

Whangaroa Health Services Trust chairman Brendan Tuohy said the caregiver and registered nurse on duty had already moved most residents to safety when police and firefighters arrived, completed the evacuation and extinguished the fire.

"The main thing is that all our residents and staff are safe and well," he said.

"We're proud of our staff, and very grateful to the police and fire brigade, who did a fine job. Damage to the building is quite minor but there's a lot of cleaning up to do."

Residents would not have to move out during the clean-up but would be squeezed up temporarily into one of the home's two wings while the other was being cleaned. Other services delivered from the same building, including a GP clinic, were not affected and were operating normally.

Chief Fire Officer Lindsay Murray said the blaze started in a hallway switchboard. Staff had evacuated most residents when the brigade arrived but could not get to the last few due to the thick, acrid smoke. It had taken some time to establish exactly where the fire was.

"I grabbed the CO2 extinguisher and gave it a bit of a squirt. There was one person still inside, so I sent in a firefighter in breathing apparatus to get him out. It was all on for a while," he added.

The evacuees were taken behind smoke-stop doors, and some out on to a porch, out of the rain. The smoke alarms did their job but the heat was insufficient to activate the building's sprinklers.

"The nurses did a great job getting the residents out, and we did a great job putting the fire out, but we do need more volunteers," Mr Murray said.

Power was restored to most of the building later in the morning. The kitchen cooktops were working but not the ovens or dishwasher. An insurance assessor was due mid-afternoon, after which the clean-up would begin in earnest.

The Kerikeri Fire Brigade also attended, using a thermal camera to check for heat in the walls and ceiling and an extractor fan to clear the smoke.