Fireworks claim part of Palmerston North house

November 1, 2006

Firefighters in Palmerston North attended a house fire caused by fireworks this afternoon.

The occupants called 111 at 2.30pm, after one or more fireworks were set alight on the upper storey of the Awapuni home.

Firefighters arrived within five minutes, and spent about one-and-a-half hours at the scene.

A firefighter who attended the fire said the second storey of the house was significantly smoke damaged and the bedroom where the fire started was “gutted”.

The exact circumstances of the fire are still being investigated, but the fire is not being treated as arson.

Firefighters have praised the occupants for actions which limited the damage to the house, including closing doors to starve the fire of oxygen and calling 111 quickly.

Everyone was evacuated safely before the Fire Service arrived.

This is the second time this month that a Manawatu home has been damaged by fireworks after a firework was thrown through the window of a house in Feilding at the weekend.

After the first five days of the Guy Fawkes sale period there were 550 fires nationwide. A normal five-day period in October would see about 300 fires.

ENDS

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