KEY POINTS:
When 21-year-old Gareth Romero heard a smoke alarm go off early yesterday as he was getting ready for work, he thought it was just another false alarm.
"Then I started hearing yelling and I opened the door and saw smoke pouring out from under the door of the room next to me," he said.
Mr Romero was one of 11 residents living in a boarding area on the third floor of the Rising Sun hotel building on Karangahape Rd who had a lucky escape after flames tore through the building about 6.45am.
After seeing the smoke pouring out from under the locked door, Mr Romero kicked it down. "I was greeted by intense heat and flames and the whole room was on fire.
"I couldn't see anybody in there. I told everybody to get the hell out of there and grab what they've got," said Mr Romero, who completed a first aid course last year.
Mr Romero, whose beard was singed by the flames, grabbed his work bag and threw it out the window. "I wanted to grab more stuff but I wanted to check everybody was out."
He put a wet sock over his mouth and did a quick search of the building.
The labourer said he did not fear for his safety. "I'm just a general helping hand in life."
Auckland City fire station senior officer Barry Fox said multiple calls were received about the fire around 6.45am.
He said everybody was accounted for, despite initial concerns some people were missing. Eleven people were evacuated, two from a fire escape.
"The damage was confined to the front four rooms, with extensive smoke damage throughout the third floor."
Tui'one Faleafa, director of FICL Entertainment, said the company's main three bars, Rising Sun, 4:20 and 24 Seven, would be open again as soon as the all-clear had been given.
