Washing machine fire: 'Lucky we weren't asleep when it happened'

The washing machine that went up in flames yesterday. Photo / Supplied

A Gisborne woman was shocked to find her washing machine had caught fire.

Shakira Ceballos had put the washing on and was inside her lounge when the Samsung washing machine caught fire yesterday morning.

"It came through the house and all the smoke alarms went off."

She went outside and found smoke flooding out of the external wash house, and flames going up the machine.

Ceballos' partner and brother both rushed to put the fire out with a hose.

"They put it out and then the fire brigade came, took details, looked at the model number and he advised me to ring Samsung and let them know," she said.

Ceballos said she had previously seen stories in the media about washing machines catching fire but was still surprised the machine went up in flames.

"And now it's happen to me.

"Lucky we weren't asleep when it happened."

A spokeswoman for Samsung said the company was not aware of any reported faults or safety concerns affecting Ceballos' model of washing machine.

"As customer safety is our top priority, we will investigate this incident to determine the cause," she said.

The company had issued a voluntary recall in 2013 on four models of its top loader washing machines that were sold in New Zealand after identifying an electrical issue that posed a potential safety risk.

To date, about 94 per cent of those affected machines had been accounted for.

A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesman confirmed they attended the scene but said the fire was out on arrival.