Fire and Emergency NZ is urging people to "take home fire safety seriously" after a parent and three children were injured in Northland yesterday morning in a rural house fire with no working smoke alarms.
FENZ said it had received reports of a house fire on Mutaraua Rd just before 3.40am Saturday, attending an address that was "well involved on arrival" with three fire trucks and a water tanker.
St John visited the scene at a similar time with three ambulances and a manager, saying it treated one seriously injured and three moderately injured patients.
They were then transported to Bay of Islands Hospital, the seriously injured person being airlifted from there to Middlemore Hospital.
In an update this morning, FENZ confirmed there were no working smoke alarms in the house at the time of the fire.
In a statement, Group Manager Wayne Martin said the fire was "devastating" for the whānau involved, and he hoped to save others from suffering the same traumatic experience.
"This shows the importance of having working smoke alarms in every home," he said. "Every whānau 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."
In an additional note, Martin urged people "to get your chimney swept, make sure your fireplace or burner is in good working order, and check that your smoke alarms are working" as the country moves into winter.
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