A senior Wanganui firefighter is urging people to ensure their smoke alarms are working properly after a man was pulled unconscious from a burning house early yesterday morning.
Senior station officer Bryce Coneybeer from Whanganui Fire Service said the man was "very, very lucky" to be alive after the fire, which took hold about 12.30am in a house on the corner of Carlton Ave and Watkin St.
"The house did have smoke alarms but they were not working because they didn't have batteries," Mr Coneybeer said.
He said fire crews arrived to find a "rapidly developing fire".
"The guys went straight inside and searched the place, and found a man in the lounge who was either asleep or incapacitated due to smoke inhalation.