Blenheim firefighter hailed as Christmas hero

The firefighter is being hailed as a Christmas hero after his brave rescue. Photo / Supplied

A Blenheim man has been hailed "a Christmas hero" after helping two people escape a house fire early this morning.

The fire broke out at a house made up of two flats on Alfred St in Blenheim at 7.30am.

A man walking past the house saw smoke coming from the property and went inside to alert the residents, Stuff.co.nz reported.

Blenheim volunteer fire brigade chief fire officer Nigel Botham said the fire started in the laundry room. The cause was under investigation.

Johana Solomon lives in a flat at the rear of the property told Stuff.co.nz that she was asleep when the fire started. The man woke her when he came "screaming" through the house.

Her dog tried to bit him as he yelled "get out, get out".

"I think he's a Christmas hero," she said.

"If he hadn't alerted anybody they would have slept right through and I wouldn't have known."

The fire burned through a water pipe and caused water damage to the front flat. The fire was contained in the laundry.

Mr Botham said there were no smoke alarms in the house.