Wanaka fire chief Tony Wellman said the community was lucky to have not lost a life in the house fire early on Monday morning (March 22).

“It [the fire] was going awfully well by the time we got there,” he said, adding it was possible some residents who saw the fire may have assumed others had already notified emergency services.

The fire appliances took less than seven minutes to get out the gate, which was “pretty good for that time of night”, Tony said.

Emergency services were notified of the blaze on Totara Terrace, which destroyed one home and severely damaged another, just after 4am on Monday.

Two families were displaced by the fire on Monday, including at least six children.

“Ring 111 as soon as you see smoke and flames. The sooner people notify us, the sooner we can get there,” Tony said.

“We were real lucky that we didn’t lose a life there.”

Tony said the cause of the fire is now with fire investigators and the insurance companies, but the Wanaka brigade wants locals to assess their fire readiness.

“Make sure you have smoke alarms,” he said. “There is a minimum standard, and a ‘best practise’.”

Fire and Emergency NZ (FENZ) recommends installing a smoke alarm in every bedroom, hallway and living area. The New Zealand Building Code requires an approved smoke alarm to be fitted in every escape route (hallway) and within three metres of every sleeping space (bedroom) door.

Check the FENZ website for information and advice.

Tony said families should also identify an escape plan and practice it. 

“You want to make sure you can escape your house in 90 seconds,” he said. 

Find information and advice here.