Kumeu fire sparks warning
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A fire in a two-storey Kumeu house recently started after a woodburner flue set upper level floorboards alight.
The wooden boards had dried out from high use of the woodburner, Kumeu volunteer fire brigade deputy chief Stephen Sparnon says.
"If you don't let the flue cool down then it doesn't lose its heat," he says. "But people have it going all the time in this weather."
A small area was damaged. Luckily, people were home.
Mr Sparnon urges people to keep their flue clean and use dry wood.
A recent spate of fires caused by heaters has New Zealand Fire Service safety officer George Stephens asking people to take care with open and enclosed wood burners.
He says building code compliance, maintenance and following manufacturer's instructions are important.
"About 40 fires each year are attributed to poor installation," Mr Stephens says.
A further 10 fires involving wood burners are because of operator failure.
- © Fairfax NZ News
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