The death of a 79-year old Whanganui woman in a house fire could have been prevented with a working smoke alarm.
The woman died on Thursday after a fire at her home. She was rescued by firefighters and revived at the scene before being rushed to hospital in a critical condition.
She died later that day from her injuries.
The death has prompted the Fire Service to issue a reminder about the importance of working smoke alarms.
Since July 2015, 18 people have been killed in "avoidable house fires".
The 79-year-old had a smoke alarm installed in her home, however it did not have a battery.
"It's extremely disappointing, given two older women died in a similar way in 2014. Unfortunately history has repeated itself," said Whanganui Fire Service area commander Bernie Rush.
Mr Rush revealed the elderly woman called 111 after discovering the fire, which is believed to have been caused by an electric blanket in her bedroom.
"We strongly advise people to get out of the house first, and then call for help from a safe place nearby, because house fires can kill in minutes," he said.
"The smoke is extremely toxic and can overwhelm people in seconds."
Mr Rush said if the woman's smoke alarm had been functioning, it would have given her more warning and more time to escape.
The Fire Service recommends people install photo-electric smoke alarms with a built-in, long-life battery.
Mr Rush said they were particularly useful for rental properties because the batteries can't be removed and don't need to be replaced.
"Long-life photo-electric smoke alarms are also cheaper in the long run, because they last for up to 10 years," he said.
The death was also a timely reminder about electric blankets.
Mr Rush said they occasionally caused fires, so they should be replaced every five years with newer heat-protected models, which are safer.
