Smoke alarm gives family life saving minute to escape house blaze

Photo / Supplied

A smoke alarm saved the lives of a Bay of Plenty father and his two sons when a fire started in their home yesterday and reduced it to rubble.

Dean Hastie and his sons, 12 and 7, were asleep in their Soldiers Rd home in the Lower Kaimais when a fire, believed to be caused by an electrical fault, broke out in the laundry.

Mr Hastie said he woke to the sound of the smoke alarm about 3.15am and within 30 seconds had himself and his two sons out of the house.

Two minutes later the property was engulfed in flames, he said.

Tauranga Fire Brigade station officer Nigel Liddicoat said there was little firefighters could do to save the home.

"It was obviously totally involved and burning extremely well."

Greerton Fire Brigade station officer Richard Moreland said a decision was made to not send any firefighters into the burning house.

The only option was to "surround and drown", focusing on protecting a nearby shed and Mr Hastie's vehicle which was parked nearby.

At the height of the blaze about 20 firefighters were at the property, with water tankers brought in from Greerton and Matamata.

Later firefighters helped Mr Hastie scratch through the rubble with a crowbar to find his car keys.

The house was built in the 1930s, with an addition in the 1970s.

Mr Hastie said he cancelled his house and contents insurance this year because he could only afford the premiums on the public liability insurance for his business. He said his sons were coping well and went to school yesterday.

However, firefighters had warned him to keep an eye on them as the reality of the fire set in over the coming days.

Mr Hastie said one son was devastated at losing a second hand-held Nintendo DS in the fire after the first was stolen from him at school.

Mr Hastie said he had also saved his three cats, a stud dog, chooks and pheasants on the property.

He was going to buy some new clothes and go to the bank to see if he could borrow some money.

Yesterday morning a fire crew remained at the property dampening down hotspots.

Mr Moreland said Mr Hastie planned to return to the property to try to salvage anything he could from the ashes.

"He's a very positive sort of gentleman, considering what's happened he has a very positive outlook."

- APN