A woman was dragged to safety by neighbours when an Orakei home exploded in flames last night.
Emergency services were called to the Rukutai St home about 9.45pm after the woman, a teacher, believed to be aged in her 50s, was pulled from the three-storey house.
Neighbours reported seeing her garage door exploding and flames were engulfing the upper levels before they entered to save the screaming woman.
The rescuers also broke the windows of her car, to save her two husky dogs trapped inside.
The woman suffered serious burns to her face and body and was taken to hospital by ambulance.
Her house was extensively damaged and the property remains cordoned off as police and fire officers investigate.
Three hours later, fire crews attended another fire in the city, at a car sales yard and workshop in Target Rd, Wairau Valley.
No one was inside at the time.
