Man has narrow escape after electric heater starts fire

BEN HEATHER/ID 130380

GUTTED: A downstairs flat in Fernhill was gutted by a fire caused by an electric heater.

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A man narrowly escaped from his burning flat after a fire started by his electric heater.

On Saturday morning, around 8.30, three fire engines attended a fire on Fernhill Rd, Fernhill.

Queenstown fire safety officer Stewart Ede said the occupant of the downstairs flat entered the living room to find it ablaze and rushed to alert people in the house upstairs.

"He only just got out," he said.

"He could feel the pressure wave of the heat." The fire totally gutted the downstairs flat and damaged the upstairs lounge room, before fire officers could put it out.

Mr Ede said house had no fire alarms, which would have given the occupant much more time to escape from the house.

- © Fairfax NZ News