A Wyndham family is thankful for the ‘‘amazing’’ work of Volunteer Fire Brigade firefighters who saved their house from burning down.
Graham Carter and his family were asleep on September 23, when a motorist driving nearby saw the neighbouring house was on fire and called emergency services.
Mr Carter woke up to a neighbour banging on the front door.
The family evacuated the house and he shifted the car which was parked near the fence.
‘‘I was, as they say, s….ing bricks’.’’
It appeared the house started burning at the back and as there was a breeze blowing in that direction, it was well on fire when firefighters arrived.
‘‘It completely gutted the rear part of the house.’’
Firefighters turned a hose on to his house to keep it from catching fire.
By that stage flames were scorching the eaves.
‘‘[The flames] smashed a window right out and damaged the heat pump cover.
‘‘That shows you how hot it was,’’ Mr Carter said.
He was in the process of restoring the house and was relieved the fire was contained.
‘‘That was insignificant damage [compared with] what could have been done.’’
He was not sure how the neighbouring house could have caught fire as it was not connected to electricity.
The house is owned by Invercargill firefighter Ian Eunson.
A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesperson said a fire investigation was completed at the property.
‘‘The cause of the fire was undetermined.’’
