A fire investigator said the near-miss should serve as a warning to landlords, property managers and tenants that smoke alarms are compulsory in rentals.
Three fire appliances were deployed to battle the blaze in the upstairs Stafford St flat about 8.45am yesterday.
A young woman, believed to be the sole occupant of the flat at the time, managed to escape with her pet rabbit. She was taken to hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.
There appeared to be some structural damage to the unit but the fire was extinguished before it could spread to consume the property, which contained several flats.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand fire risk management officer Mark Bredenbeck said the fire was believed to have been caused by a candle left burning on a corner table in the lounge, and there were no working smoke alarms in the house.
''She was alerted to the fire because her cellphone alarm woke her ... She got up to find the house full of smoke, and she's done a runner.''
He urged tenants to take action if their landlords had not fitted smoke alarms, now mandatory in rental properties.
''And if the landlords aren't going to do anything, then contact us, and we can take it further.''
However, once the smoke alarm was in place, it was the tenant's responsibility to insure it was still working, Mr Bredenbeck said.
The Porirua landlords of the property, managed by an external agency, did not respond to a request for comment yesterday.
