An accidental fire which extensively damaged a wooden house on a rural Palmerston property was a reminder to use spark guards and install smoke alarms in every room.
The Palmerston Fire Brigade was called to a house fire on Goodwood Settlement Rd shortly before 11pm on Thursday night.
The blaze appeared to have started after logs fell out of an open fire while the occupants slept, Southern Region fire safety officer Barry Gibson said.
There was only one smoke alarm in the single-storey house, but it was some distance from the fire so did not sound as early as it could have, he said.
Fortunately, the occupants escaped safely, he said.
The fire was a vivid reminder to use spark guards and not bank the fire up too much.
"You should also have working smoke alarms in all the rooms," Mr Gibson said.
This would provide the earliest possible warning of the fire, giving occupants a better chance of escaping safely, he said.
