Four people had to be forced from their burning house in Auckland by a rescuer today who went inside to help them.
He suffered smoke inhalation in the rescue.
The man was understood to have been doing business in the area when he saw smoke coming from the Glenfield Rd property on the North Shore just before 9.30am.
When officers arrived the four people were out of the house but reportedly had been "reluctant" to leave, said Albany station fire officer Ron Henderson.
"A civilian who was around went into the house and pretty much forced them out. It was getting pretty smoke-logged by that stage," he said.
