Trains were halted for about two hours in Oamaru last night after a hose had to be run from a fire hydrant across the railway line to fight a house fire.
The fire caused major damage to the ceiling and under the roof of the Foyle St house but, because of prompt action by eight firefighters and two units from the Oamaru Fire Brigade, the interior was not badly affected.
It appears to have started around a flue in the roof cavity, Oamaru Chief Fire Officer Steve Couper said.
A man, the sole occupant of the house, called the brigade about 7.20pm after the fire spread rapidly through the ceiling and roof cavity.
Firefighters using breathing apparatus had to remove iron from the roof to get at the fire. The brigade used a thermal imaging device to check for hot spots.
