Family escape Waverley house fire

Flames erupt from a Somerville St, Dunedin, house last night. Photo by Peter McIntosh.
Flames erupt from a Somerville St, Dunedin, house last night. Photo by Peter McIntosh.
"My only question was, 'Where are my family?'."

Senita Fakava and his wife came home last night to see the living and kitchen area of their Waverley home engulfed in flames.

Mr Fakava was relieved to see his daughter, his 19-year-old niece and her daughter got out safely.

Mr Fakava, a cleaner, said he did not care about property if his family was safe.

"Life is important," he said.

A firefighter was taken to Dunedin Hospital last night as a "precautionary" measure.

Dunedin Senior Station Officer Phil Marsh said the firefighter, who was fighting the blaze inside, was "feeling unwell" and was taken to hospital.

Three appliances, from Dunedin, St Kilda, and Willowbank, attended the blaze.

Emergency services received multiple 111 calls from the public just before 7.50pm about the blaze, which could be seen from across the city.

Mr Marsh declined to speculate on the cause, which would be investigated today.

At least three-quarters of the upper storey was "severely damaged".

He confirmed a portable gas cylinder had vented, but declined to speculate on whether it was the cause.

Firefighters pushed a van out of a basement garage to save it, in case the fire spread.

Mr Fakava bought the house in 2002 and it was fully insured.

He and his wife could see the flames from many streets away, at first thinking it was someone else's property.

He was amazed to find his home ablaze, with a crowd of people watching.

He parked his van on the street and ran up the driveway to his property.

He was relieved to see neighbours comforting his three family members and pleased his dog was out, too.

He thanked his neighbours, who had been very supportive.

The family would stay with extended family, he said.

eileen.goodwin@odt.co.nz

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