Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) is urging Kiwis to check their smoke alarms after four people were injured in a house fire that didn't have working smoke detectors.
FENZ group manager Wayne Martin said a parent and three children received burns in the fire, which was in a remote rural area in Northland in the early hours of Saturday morning.
The family didn't get any early warning of the fire because there were no working smoke alarms in the house.
"This shows the importance of having working smoke alarms in every home," Martin said.
"Every whanau and household needs to have an escape plan for their home, and make sure everyone knows what to do in the case of fire. That includes getting out quickly, going to the pre-arranged safe meeting place, and not trying to go back inside."
After escaping their home, the family sought help from neighbours some distance away, and four fire crews battled to save the house, but it was already well ablaze when they arrived about 10 minutes after being alerted.
Martin said the fire was devastating for the family involved, and he hoped to save others from suffering the same traumatic experience.
The weather had changed from warm and humid conditions to cold, wet and windy in the last week, so people across Northland would be using their home fires again.
"It’s really important to get your chimney swept, make sure your fireplace or burner is in good working order, and check that your smoke alarms are working," Martin said.
