KEY POINTS:
Two Dunedin police officers on patrol in the early hours of this morning probably saved the life of a man they pulled from a burning house, Senior Sergeant Steve Aitken says.
Mr Aitken has praised the actions of his quick-thinking staff, who put themselves at risk by approaching the blaze.
The two officers were driving down North Road, in the Dunedin suburb of North East Valley about 2.15am, when they noticed the house fire.
They circled the house and found there was a person still inside one of the bedrooms, Mr Aitken said.
The pair smashed the window and called to the occupant, who was disoriented. They then pulled him out of the house.
"By the time they got him out, the smoke level was down below the window," Mr Aitken said.
"They probably saved his life."
The 47-year-old man was taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation.
Mr Aitken said it appeared the fire started from an electrical fault.
- NZPA
