This is the aftermath of a Canterbury house fire caused by a damaged phone that was being wirelessly charged.

First-time homeowner Emily Miles had been living in her house for only about three weeks when the fire broke out at around 5am on July 30.

Miles, 30, an elderly care worker, was working a night shift. A boarder was asleep at the Rolleston home.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand specialist fire investigator Mitchell Jeffery said the boarder was alerted to the fire by working smoke alarms, which allowed enough time to get out safely.

He said it was one of the worst fires he had seen caused by a faulty device charging.

Miles learnt of the fire through a phone call but had to stay at the elderly person’s home she was working at for several more hours until her shift ended, Miles’ friend Kyla Nicholls told Allied Media.

Nicholls has set up a Givealittle page to raise money on behalf of Miles.

Nicholls said the boarder had only been in the house for two days and it was their phone which started the fire in the five-year-old home.

“Emily purchased her home independently on a single income, without a partner or second household income,” she said.

​Emily Miles had only lived in the home for about three weeks before the fire. Photo: Givealittle

Nicholls said Miles had home insurance that covered the fire damage, but it does not cover the lost rent from the boarder, which she was using to help pay the mortgage.

“Now that the house is uninhabitable and the boarder can no longer live there, Emily is left carrying those mortgage costs on her income alone, while also dealing with the enormous expense of starting over.”

Nicholls said the insurance will not come close to covering every household item.

“Emily is now faced with significant out-of-pocket costs to replace basic necessities, clothing, furniture, household items, and the many everyday belongings that were destroyed.”

Jeffery said it was a reminder to people about charging electronics.

“We encourage people not to charge damaged electronic devices and only use approved chargers.

“Devices should always be charged on a hard, flat surface.”