Woman restrained by neighbour as home burns

Anne-Marie Emerson | 11th March 2010

A woman had to be restrained by a neighbour as she tried to enter her burning home yesterday.

The woman said she had been away from the Wanganui East house for only about 20 minutes and came home to find it ablaze and concerned neighbours on the street.

She explained she was worried about dogs in kennels at the back of the Salisbury Ave house, and whether the family's laptop could be saved.

The dogs were found to be shaken but unharmed.

A neighbour said she had prevented the woman from attempting to run into the house.

Senior station officer Bryce Coneybeer said the centre of the house was badly burned while the outer area had smoke and heat damage.

"We got on to the fire very quickly and were able to save a number of the family's personal possessions. It was good work by the boys."

A mechanical fault in a clothes dryer is thought to have started the fire.

Mr Coneybeer said dryer malfunctions were not uncommon.

"It's definitely not a good idea to go out and leave the dryer going."

The woman who lived at the property said she was uninsured.

This was the third significant fire at the eastern end of Salisbury Ave in three years.

In June 2007, a man was lucky to escape with singed fingers when he threw a malfunctioning gas bottle on to his front lawn.

A car was set on fire in January 2008 in long grass on vacant land at the end of Salisbury Ave. In tinder-dry conditions, the resulting fire threatened several homes on the street.