KEY POINTS:
After burning their hands on the door handle, two men kicked their way into a bedroom engulfed in flames in a desperate attempt to save two young Northland boys.
But it is believed one of the boys - a 5-year-old - was already dead by the time they reached him. His 3-year-old brother was in a critical condition.
Battling the heat, the men carried both children out to the lawn, where paramedics later pronounced the older boy dead.
The 3-year-old was last night in a serious condition in intensive care at Middlemore Hospital with burns to 20 per cent of his body.
The fatal fire broke out about 8.45am yesterday while the boys were believed to have been playing with matches in the bedroom of their Whangarei home.
A passerby noticed smoke pouring from the eaves of the old wooden house and ran to alert the occupants.
Police and firefighters say all of the adults were still in bed when the alarm was raised; however, a close family friend has told the Weekend Herald otherwise.
James Tozer said the rental property was occupied by the boys, their mother, stepfather and three flatmates, one of whom lived outside in a caravan.
The group had only recently moved in and had been trying to improve the property by working on the grounds and removing mould inside.
Mr Tozer thought the boy who died was being kept home from school as he had had a cold for a few days.
He said the passerby ran to the front door and told one of the flatmates, a man called Eli, about the smoke.
Eli and the boys' stepfather, Carlos, then ran to the youngsters' bedroom.
"Eli grabbed the door handle but it was so hot it burned his hands, so they kicked the door in."
Neighbours told the Weekend Herald they saw at least one of the boys being carried out in a blue blanket.
Emergency services arrived quickly but it is understood there was nothing they could do for the older boy.
Fire safety officer Craig Bain said the ferocity of the fire had gutted the children's bedroom, leaving only two charred bed bases and the springs from the mattresses.
Mr Bain also said there were smoke alarms in the home but none had batteries.
