Sleepout fire victim named

Police have warned about the dangers of using large outdoor candles in enclosed areas after a man died in a burning garage in south Auckland at the weekend.

Police today named the victim as Ronald Farrow, 42, from Flat Bush, in Manukau, who was using the garage at his aunt's house as a sleepout.

Police and fire safety officers said the cause of Saturday's fire had yet to be determined.

But Detective Sergeant Fa'a Vaaelua said a family member had seen Mr Furrow light a large outdoor candle and take it into the garage apparently to keep himself warm as he watched over a bitch which had given birth to pups.

One of the pups also perished in the fire.

Mr Vaaelua said the candle was not meant to be used inside.

"It was about a metre and a half in total length and about 40cm of it was candle," he said.

"It was basically a waxed rope wrapped around up the stalk of bamboo. You are supposed to stick it in the garden and it makes quite a decent-sized flame."

Mr Farrow is thought to have died from smoke inhalation.

It was the second fatal fire in south Auckland in a week.

Earlier in the week a 79-year-old woman died as she tried to rescue a young boy from their burning home in the south Auckland suburb of Mangere.

- NZPA