Son finds mother's body after house blaze

Smoke alarms in a house where a woman and her pet dog died this morning had been disabled. File photo / NZ Herald

A man found his elderly mother and her dog dead in a Northland house yesterday following a fire caused by a discarded cigarette.

The man went to the Millington Rd house in Maunu, just southwest of Whangarei, at 7am to check on the 79-year-old woman.

Northern fire communications shift manager Craig Bain said the man saw the windows of the house blackened with soot and rushed inside.

"He went in and found that the fire was basically out apart from some flames coming from a two-seater couch," he said.

He threw it outside and found the woman lying on the floor of her bedroom. The fire had only damaged the lounge but a thick layer of smoke had filled the house and it is believed she died from smoke inhalation.

"The lady was in bed. It's possible her dog woke her up, but she hasn't been able to get out. I don't think she got out of her bedroom. The dog died as well," Mr Bain said.

The woman would not be named until close relatives overseas had been told of her death.

Whangarei senior fire officer Paul Thompson said the dog was found in the hallway near the woman's bedroom. The bedroom door was open.

He said the fire was slow burning and probably started after a discarded cigarette butt ignited in the lounge. The woman's family had confirmed she was a heavy smoker.

Mr Thompson said it appeared none of the smoke alarms in the house were in working order.

He said it was a tragic reminder for people to ensure they had smoke alarms and they were operating properly.

Police are also investigating the woman's death, but would not be drawn on the details.

According to Fire Service statistics, half of all people who die in fires are careless with their cigarettes, matches or lighters.

Statistics also show that in 80 per cent of the fires attended in New Zealand, smoke alarms were either not installed or not working.