A fire at a Dunedin home overnight was believed to have been caused by clothes drying near a fireplace.
Emergency services were called to the house fire on Baker St, in Caversham, at 10.49pm, after home owners woke up to their smoke alarms sounding.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand shift manager Riwai Grace said four appliances attended the scene, late on Wednesday, from Dunedin Central, Lookout Point, Roslyn and St Kilda.
One room was ‘‘well involved’’ but firefighters were able to put the fire out quickly.
Work was done to clear smoke from the property and firefighters left the scene at about 12.30am.
‘‘Thankfully, working smoke alarms probably saved their lives’’, Mr Grace said.
‘‘It is always nice for us here to see smoke alarms doing what they are supposed to do, and that is a positive.’’
An informant believed the fire had started by clothes in front of the fireplace, but that had not been confirmed, he said.
‘‘We would encourage people not to have clothes horses and those sorts of mechanisms too close to fireplaces ... it is very easy for them to catch fire.’’
Fire and Emergency Otago and Southland said on Facebook on Wednesday it had been called to three house fires this week, which had started due to items next to a fireplace, chiminey fires, or logs becoming jammed in a fireplace.
‘‘Keep a clear area at least 1-metre around the fireplace ... Have your chimney cleaned before you use it each season and burn only dry wood ...Only put wood in your fire that fits,’’ the post said.
St John spokesman Gerard Campbell said it was notified but did not attend.
