Yesterday, more than 100 people walked through the ruins of the house at 25 Oban St, in Mosgiel, where a fire started in the kitchen and within minutes had gutted the whole house.
The tour was a part of Fire and Emergency New Zealand’s (Fenz) open house programme which aimed to show people the impact of fire first-hand and provide education on how they could reduce the risk of it happening in their own homes.
Fenz fire risk management officer Scott Lanauze said the majority of structural fires, which could become fatal within three minutes, were avoidable.
People lose their valuables, and sometimes, they lose their lives. The key safety messages were to have working fire alarms, an escape plan and a safe meeting place, he said.
Firefighters also highlighted how closing a door could save a room from complete destruction, as it had in the Oban St home, leaving one room seemingly untouched.
