Garage fire victim appalled by assault

A night-time fire which gutted a Martinborough garage, destroying an expensive car, was extinguished by fire brigade volunteers led by a man who hours later was to become the victim of a serious assault.

Peter Fisher was officer-in charge at the Oxford St fire, which was well ablaze when firefighters got there around 3.30am on Saturday.

Resident Graeme Thomson said he only awoke to the fire when he heard sirens, and looked out the window to see his garage ablaze.

Neighbour Corina Lawson had sounded the alarm after waking up thinking her own house was on fire, said Mr Thomson.

The loss of his 2011 Jaguar, and a much-loved workshop and tools which belonged to his father and grandfather was insignificant compared to what had later happened to Mr Fisher, he said.

Mr Thomson said he had a wonderful feeling of community on Saturday morning, after seeing how quickly his neighbours responded with offers of help, and the professional job the Martinborough firefighters did.

"It was just an extraordinary first response. The siren went at 3.26am, and the first engine - commanded by Peter Fisher - was here at 3.31am."

Greytown and Featherston Fire Brigades also attended the blaze, and the firefighters had to cut through a roller door to get to the blaze.

The cause of the fire is yet to be determined, but Mr Thomson suspects it was started by an electric torch which he had plugged in shortly before going to bed.

Mr Thomson said although he is insured, he is kicking himself for not installing sprinklers.

He said it is likely the garage will need to be knocked down.

Mr Fisher seemed proud of the job he had done on Friday night, and it was hard to hear what had happened to him the following night, said Mr Thomson.

"I went from thinking, 'as a community, aren't we so lucky' to 'how could this happen'."

Mr Thomson's property was one of the homes featured in a recent garden tour fundraiser organised for Corina Lawson's deaf daughter Emily, who needs a second cochlear implant.