Fire which gutted home started by child playing with matches

Photo / Katee Shanks

A youngster playing with matches in his bedroom resulted in a Whakatane family fleeing with just the clothes on their back as glass exploded and flames leapt out the windows of their two-storey home this morning.

Andre and Tessa Smith were going about their normal morning routines at their Poroporo farm when Mrs Smith smelled smoke.

"I was on the computer downstairs and my wife was upstairs making lunch for our two sons when I heard her start screaming," Mr Smith said.

"I got upstairs pronto and tried to put out the fire which had started in one of the bedrooms but quickly realised it was bigger then I was. After that it was about making sure we were all out of the house and safe."

He was astounded at how quickly the fire had taken hold. "It was just like you see on TV. The kids were terrified and I was afraid. I don't get afraid that often."

Mr Smith said the heat and amount of smoke being produced meant an attempt to get back into the house was out of the question.

"It wasn't worth the risk."

He said while most things could be replaced, he was concerned about his computer's hard drive that not only stored lots of photos, but also his farm management information.

After looking through the house after the fire had been put out, Mr Smith said the interior was worse than he thought it would be. "Two of the three bedrooms are totally ruined, fire has even burned holes in the floor, while the third bedroom and living areas are pretty badly damaged."

Downstairs had also had a large volume of water through it.

A visibly upset Mrs Smith was also taken through the home by fire officers.

Whakatane deputy chief fire officer Malcolm Rowson said a youngster playing with matches had been identified as the cause of the fire.

"By the time the father got to the bedroom the curtains of the bedroom were already ablaze."

He described the fire as a K99, meaning it was well involved when the two fire trucks and one water tanker arrived. A neighbour described the blaze as spectacular.