Teenager died trying to save dog from fire
A teenager who died in a fire this morning made the "fatal mistake" of entering a burning sleep-out in Rangiora he had just escaped from to try to rescue a dog, a fire officer has said.
Fire safety officers believe a candle in a Chinese lantern caused the 3.58am fire, killing the 17-year-old. Rangiora fire chief Ross Ditmer said three people were asleep in the sleep-out -- a converted garage -- when the heat from the fire woke one of the people who then alerted the others.
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"There were no smoke alarms -- if there had been they would have been alerted to the fire sooner," he said. "And most importantly, never go back into a burning building."
The 17-year-old and his eight friends had been enjoying a school holiday together when the tragedy occurred, Mr Ditmer said.
"People almost universally underestimate the speed of fire. Young people, who may be especially susceptible to thinking they're bullet-proof, can succumb to the blinding smoke, deadly gases and ferocious heat produced by household fires despite their generally greater fitness and agility," he said.
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- NZPA
Fire safety officers believe a candle in a Chinese lantern caused the 3.58am fire, killing the 17-year-old. Rangiora fire chief Ross Ditmer said three people were asleep in the sleep-out -- a converted garage -- when the heat from the fire woke one of the people who then alerted the others.
(...)
"There were no smoke alarms -- if there had been they would have been alerted to the fire sooner," he said. "And most importantly, never go back into a burning building."
The 17-year-old and his eight friends had been enjoying a school holiday together when the tragedy occurred, Mr Ditmer said.
"People almost universally underestimate the speed of fire. Young people, who may be especially susceptible to thinking they're bullet-proof, can succumb to the blinding smoke, deadly gases and ferocious heat produced by household fires despite their generally greater fitness and agility," he said.
MORE>>
- NZPA
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