October 19, 2008

A Nen St house fire yesterday was the latest in a 'higher than normal' number of house fires in Oamaru recently, Oamaru Chief Fire Officer Gary Gibson said.
The family who had occupied the house were away at the time when the Oamaru Fire Brigade was called to the three-bedroom house about noon yesterday.
When the family returned to the home, they found the firefighters putting out the blaze.
Mr Gibson said the house was reasonably well involved when the brigade arrived.
There were fears people could still be inside so six firefighters with breathing apparatus went inside to ensure it was empty. It took about 15 minutes to get the fire under control and about three hours to dampen down hotspots.
The kitchen-living room received major fire and smoke damage, with heavy smoke damage occurring in other rooms in the house.
A fire safety officer was to inspect the house late yesterday to determine the cause of the fire. Victim support was assisting the family yesterday.
It is the third house fire in Oamaru in as many months, but with no obvious pattern.
One in Test St was caused when a faulty door on a log burner allowed hot embers to spill on to a carpet and a second in Taward St was from an electrical fault in a multiplug box.