Two South Dunedin residents are ''very, very lucky'' after escaping their smoke filled house with only minor injuries.
Firefighters from St Kilda and Dunedin were called to the house in Fawcett St about 10.50pm on Saturday after one of the occupants awoke to find the property heavily ''smoke logged'' and raised the alarm.
Senior Station Officer Pete Douglas, of Dunedin, said the occupants were ''very, very lucky'' as the house had no smoke alarms and both had fallen asleep.
''Much more time and it could be a structure fire instead of a smoke logged house and we could have had a...possibility of fatalities,'' he said.
The pair were treated at the scene by St John paramedics for smoke inhalation.
''It's a very limited opportunity to wake up in the event of smoke. When you go to sleep, your nose goes to sleep as well,'' Mr Douglas said.
The close call highlighted the importance of smoke alarms.
''We can't stress how vigilant people need to be with smoke alarms in their homes, especially with the number of fatalities we have had in New Zealand this year, unfortunately.''
The matter was initially treated as suspicious because of the high level of smoke in the house, but firefighters determined it was as a result of a wood burner's door being left open. Police also attended but were not required.
A St John spokeswoman said no one had to be taken to hospital.
Firefighters also attended a kitchen fire in Calton Hill on Saturday.
Lookout Point firefighters extinguished a fat fire in a South Rd kitchen about 5.15pm on Saturday.
Cooking fat had ignited.
