Phillip Clark hopped a fence and dragged an unconscious woman from a doorway this morning. Video / Phillip Clark
An Auckland restaurateur says he is still shaken after his Sunday morning commute included bolting from his hastily parked car, jumping over a high picket fence and dragging an unconscious stranger to safety as her home went up in flames.
"If it was a couple minutes later, she wouldn't be around," chef Phillip Clark said of the ordeal, explaining that soon after he arrived at the site of the Morningside blaze the home was engulfed.
Clark spoke to the Herald yesterday from the kitchen at Kingsland Social, where the newlywed and father of three still managed to put in a full shift.
His 2-year-old son was in a car seat behind him and Clark's new father-in-law was also in the vehicle as Clark spotted unusual smoke patterns around 7am while driving along Western Springs Rd.
Dark smoke and shooting flames are visible from a burning house that caught fire in Western Springs Rd on Sunday morning. Photo / Supplied
As Clark roused the semi-dressed woman and helped pull her from the house, she shouted for her dogs.
But at that point it was too dangerous to go inside the building to look for them, Clark said.
His wife, who he married on Tuesday, had been driving behind him so she stayed with the woman as Clark then ran down the long driveway to see if there was another home attached to the street-side house.
"Sure enough, there was another house," he recalled. "The lady [inside the second house] was freaking out. She had been fast asleep."
Firefighters arrived a short time later.
Video of the fire shows flames shooting from the house and huge plumes of dark smoke billowing from the blaze.
Contractors were working to stabilise the badly fire-damaged property yesterday afternoon. Photo / Rachel Maher
Fire and Emergency New Zealand officials refused to provide information about the incident due to ongoing industrial action.
A police spokesperson confirmed that officers were called to a house fire on Western Springs Rd about 7.20am.
"All occupants were reported to be out of the home safely," the spokesperson said.
"One person was being treated for smoke inhalation and it looks like they were transported to hospital by ambulance."
A St John ambulance spokesperson said two vehicles were sent to the area at 7.24am and one person was treated with moderate injuries.
The Herald understands the woman remained in hospital last night.
Clark said he didn't know what happened to the woman - he left to get ready for his restaurant's Sunday brunch rush after emergency responders took over.
He described the woman, thought to be in her 40s, as so incoherent that she was unlikely to remember any of it.
Kingsland Social chef and owner Phillip Clark performed some heroics during his Sunday morning commute. Photo / Brett Phibbs
"This all happened so fast. I just reacted," he said, adding that it didn't sink in until later that he had risked his life - jeopardising his family and business to help a stranger.
"I didn't really think about that at the time, but I do now and I'm a bit shaken, to be honest."
Other cars had driven by without stopping, Clark said. Given how quickly the fire grew, he had little doubt the fire could have been fatal if he done the same.
"I don't regret it," he said before politely suggesting the interview end so he could get back to filling brunch orders.
Contractors were stabilising the badly damaged property when the Herald visited yesterday afternoon.
They told the Herald the owner was still in hospital and the property "was considered extremely dangerous" due to fire damage.
The house was noticeably burnt, with most window shattered, and a strong, pronounced smell of smoke.
One neighbour said he saw the blaze before heading to church and described seeing "billows of smoke" coming from the burning home.
