Firefighters at the scene of a house fire at Richmond St, Forbury, on Sunday evening. Photo by Gregor Richardson.
Firefighters were called to the Richmond St, Forbury, house after neighbours noticed smoke at 8.15pm on Sunday. Neighbours helped dampen the blaze with garden hoses, East Otago fire risk management officer Michael Harrison said.
Those involved in the fire, including the property owner, who had working smoke alarms, were ''doing all the right things'', Mr Harrison said.
The fire was caused by an electrical fault, he said.
He recommended homeowners got an electrician to check wiring in their homes, particularly as the insulation on old wiring could break down over time.
''If you do have older wiring, then it pays to get an electrician in to check the wiring and replace anything that needs replacing,'' he advised.
