Unattended candles spark a spate of house fires

A spate of candle fires has kept Birkenhead station on its toes.

Station officer James Young says staff attended three incidents over eight days. The latest saw two adults and their young daughter, aged about four, taken to North Shore Hospital with smoke inhalation, he says.

Crews were called to the Birkenhead home at around 6pm on January 18.

Mr Young says a candle was left unattended in the master bedroom where the young girl was.

The bed caught fire and smoke damage was contained to the room, he says.

Crews were called to The World Gospel Bible College on the corner of Onewa and Gladstone roads in Northcote on January 16.

A candle placed on top of a washing machine was left unattended in the laundry of a house which is part of the church.

A two-year-old Hillcrest girl had a lucky escape on January 10 when a burning candle set fire to her bedroom.

Mr Young says there seems to be a spate of candle fires which isn't good.

One of the Fire Service's cardinal rules is not to leave burning candles unattended.

It's also important to have working smoke alarms, he says.

- © Fairfax NZ News