Saved seconds from tragedy

PETER DRURY

EMOTIONAL MOMENT: Reihana Poharama Samuel hugs his young relative after pulling him from a burning house in Te Awamutu

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A Te Awamutu man had just seconds to find two young children in choking smoke as his house went up in flames yesterday morning.

Reihana Poharama Samuel was making music in a back room of the Te Tomo St house when his nine-year-old brother came in yelling, "bro, the house is on fire".

Mr Samuel ran to the front of the house, which was engulfed by flames.

When he saw the size of the flames, he grabbed his brother by his hoodie and pulled him away from the fire.

He also found a four-year-old relative – who was also in the house – and ran out with both of them.

The plucky four-year-old told the Times yesterday that he wasn't scared.

But Mr Samuel wasn't afraid to admit that he was.

"I was scared.

"Me and my uncle were crying.

"I was crying hard."

Mr Samuel said the house "went up" so quickly, but he was just grateful that no-one was hurt.

Other relatives, who were outside of the house when the fire started, sat crying across the road watching as firefighters brought the flames under control and dampened down hot spots.

They were too upset to speak to the Times.

The whole internal structure of the one-storey wooden house was destroyed.

Te Awamutu fire officer Laurence Potter said the house was fully ablaze when the fire service arrived shortly after 11am.

Four appliances, two from Hamilton, were brought in to put out the fire.Mr Potter said the family was lucky they escaped unharmed.

The fire service was investigating the cause of the fire.

- © Fairfax NZ News