Raglan fire: Family are grateful Meri Tukiri's desperate cries for help were heard by grandson

The burned-out house overlooking Manu Bay where Cochise Tukiri rescued his grandmother Meri at about 1.30am from flames that had reached ceiling height. Photo / Nikki Preston

Meri Tukiri stood on the deck of her Raglan home screaming for help.

Luckily the elderly woman's calls after 1.30am woke her 22-year-old grandson Cochise Tukiri who was sleeping in a separate house about 50m away with his father, mother and other siblings.

Cochise jumped up and bolted through the house and sprinted up the hill to his "Nana Bob's" bach.

By the time he reached it, the 76-year-old had run back inside and was trying to put the fire out with water with no luck. She was surrounded by smoke.

Cochise' mother Patsy Tukiri said she was extremely grateful her son woke when he did.

"We are grateful he got up to her in time to help his nana. If it was a minute later it would have been too late."

Cochise grabbed his shocked grandmother who was standing by the kitchen door.

"It was too late by then. It had hit the roof. The flames were up to the ceiling and it was full on smoke," Patsy said.

"What woke her was the smoke and the smokey smell, which was very lucky as we've been told you usually don't wake up."

As soon as the pair got outside, the house went up in a blaze.

Meri was struggling to breathe after inhaling all the smoke. Patsy drove up her car to take her mother-in-law back down the hill to their house.

"We are not sure why he (Cochise) woke up. He said he heard a noise and thought it was our cattle - the sheep. We just get worried about dogs coming up.

"He opened his window and that's when he heard his grandmother yelling for help."

Two fire appliances from Raglan attended, along with a number of neighbours, to help put the fire out.

Meri was taken to Waikato Hospital with moderate injuries, but was discharged this afternoon.

Her son Mark and other family members were looking after her in Hamilton and Patsy worried bringing her back to Raglan so soon could be too much for her weak heart, as the fire had destroyed most of her precious belongings.

"She's lost pretty much everything, but at least she's still alive."

The house had been Meri's bach before she decided to move into it permanently about 30 years ago, relocating from Hamilton.

The dwelling was one of several on the family property which has breathtaking views over Manu Bay.

Cochise went to his job as a mechanic this morning once he knew his nana was okay.

Patsy said he was a little tired, but being at work was a good way of keeping his mind off what had happened.

Raglan fire chief and specialist fire investigator Kevin Homes said an overloaded multibox multiple electrical socket in the kitchen which several kitchen appliances had been plugged into, was the cause of the fire.