A fire that destroyed a home and severely damaged a neighbouring property in Dunedin yesterday is believed to have been sparked by a lawnmower.
Helene Van Rooy was in her Green Island home on the corner of Loudon and Kirkland Sts just after midday when she heard a loud bang, smelled smoke, saw flames and immediately rang the Fire Service.
Within minutes, her property was sandwiched between the well alight Kirkland St property and her neighbour's Loudon St wooden cottage after strong southerly winds fanned the flames next door.
"I was a bit worried, with all the strong wind ... but we had the hose ready, though," she told the Otago Daily Times at the scene yesterday.
Her upset Kirkland St neighbour said the fire might have been caused by a sparking stone from a lawnmower at the property, and the man was searching frantically for a dog and two cats, People from the destroyed property, including one wrapped in a towel, were visibly upset and declined to comment when approached yesterday.
Mrs Van Rooy said it was fortunate her elderly female neighbour was not at her Loudon St property at the time of the incident, and her Central Otago-based family were travelling to Dunedin to support her.
Firefighters and four fire appliances from Dunedin, St Kilda, Lookout Point and Roslyn battled the blaze, which by 1pm left the Kirkland St home partially collapsed.
One person was in the home at the time of the fire, but did not suffer any injuries.
Southern Region fire safety officer Barry Gibson said it appeared the fire was caused when a person refuelled and started a lawnmower. It ignited some fuel and the fire quickly spread to the basement of the house.
It then spread to some vented lpg cylinders, which caught fire "and made it worse".
"A howling southerly, and the combination of the extra fuel loading from the lpg, meant the fire has blown across and ignited the home next door."
The Kirkland St home was destroyed and the Loudon St home severely damaged, he said.
