A fire which caused major damage to a Tees St house early last Saturday morning was caused by a faulty door on a log burner, Fire Service safety officer Stuart Ide, of Dunedin, said.
The blaze caused extensive fire and smoke damage to all but two rooms in the rented house about 2.20am on Saturday.
The sole occupant escaped after being woken by her cat meowing to get out, but spent two nights in Oamaru Hospital, where she was treated for smoke inhalation and shock.
The door on the log burner in the lounge, in the centre of the house, did not close properly, Mr Ide said. Hot embers fell on to the carpet, starting the fire.
It was a "timely reminder" to people to make sure they thoroughly checked burners before using them each winter, he said.
