Two firefighters suffered injuries likely to keep them off work for days while battling a "wall of fire" at a Wanganui house.
Fire crews were called to Kaitoke about around 5.40pm on New Year's Eve, Wanganui Station Officer Jes Sorensen said.
"We received a call that it was a garage fire, but when we arrived it was a wall of fire," he said.
The two men were injured battling the blaze. They were taken to hospital, but not admitted, and both would be off work for a couple of weeks, Mr Sorensen said. He said one fireman suffered blistered knuckles and the other suffered radiation burn through his boot.
The firefighters were able to save the part two-storey 350 sq m house, which was "well involved" when the two fire trucks and a tanker arrived at the scene. They had just enough water to fight the fire which took 30 minutes to bring under control. The firefighters stayed at the scene until midnight to dampen down any hotspots.
