Detector saves brothers after fridge fire

THANKFUL: Smoke alarms warned John, 66, (left) and Bruce, 71, when their fridge caught fire recently after they went to bed. PHOTO/LYNDA FERINGA

Being fastidious about regularly checking their smoke detectors are in working order has paid off for John and Bruce Little.

Recently, one night as they lay in bed one of their four smoke alarms started sounding, warning them their 5-year-old Telmann fridge had caught fire.

John Little, 66, said earlier in the day the fridge had started making funny noises and on checking he could find nothing wrong with it.

"I couldn't find anything wrong. Fridges sometimes make strange noises so I never thought anything more of it."

Later in the night, about 9pm after he and Bruce, 71, headed to bed he said the alarm started sounding.

"I thought that's odd because I'd only just checked and changed the batteries."

Checking on why it was sounding loudly, Mr Little said he got the fright of his life.

"I saw a glow in the kitchen ... there were flames coming out the back of the fridge.

"I grabbed a bucket and threw water on it."

He hates to think what might have happened had he not been warned by the hallway alarm.

"It could have taken hold really quickly and we'd have probably been killed by the smoke ... We got to it in time."

He has two warnings.

"If you hear your fridge making a funny noise turn it off at the wall ... make sure your smoke alarms are working. It could save your life," he said.

The home the brothers live in is a Trust House property.

Trust House chief executive Allan Pollard said they provided smoke alarms and batteries for their homes.

If their tenants need a detector or fresh batteries they can pick them up from Trust House.

"We've got boxes and boxes of them. We supply them to all our tenants," he said.

People really struggling to buy smoke detectors and those with a Community Services Card can ring the fire service and have a free Home Safety Inspection done.

Masterton fire station officer Mike Cornford said they provided smoke alarms to some people.

"It's by a case by case, need by need basis ... if people are desperate they can ring us," he said.