Another "Near Miss" House Fire
Fire Crews attended another “near- miss” unattended cooking fire this afternoon at a property in Naenae. Thankfully, a couple of guys going past saw the fire in the porch of a house, and called 111 to tell Fire and Emergency NZ about it.
By the time of the intervention by the passers-by, the occupants of the house had been alerted to the fire by the sounding of their smoke alarms, but they had no idea of where the smoke was coming from.
The fire itself was in a frying pan on a gas cooker in the porch at the rear of the house. The porch suffered minor damage, but the fire was only seconds away from breaking through the back door and into the house.
“Unattended cooking is the leading cause of fire and fire fatalities in New Zealand”
In this case, the smoke alarms would have prevented a fatality, but the unattended cooking, even though it was outside the back door, could have led to the loss of a family home and most of their possessions.
So there’s two lessons from this fire call today:
1. “Keep looking while you’re cooking!”
2. Smoke Alarms Save Lives
And if fire should happen to break out in your home…
Get out and stay out
In a fire, get everybody out and call 111.
And whatever you do, stay out.
Poll: Do you think NZ should ban social media for youth?
The Australian Prime Minister has expressed plans to ban social media use for children.
This would make it illegal for under 16-year-olds to have accounts on platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X.
Social media platforms would be tasked with ensuring children have no access (under-age children and their parents wouldn’t be penalised for breaching the age limit)
.
Do you think NZ should follow suit? Vote in our poll and share your thoughts below.
-
84.8% Yes
-
13.8% No
-
1.4% Other - I'll share below
What's your favourite recipe for courgettes?
Kia ora neighbours. If you've got a family recipe for courgettes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our January 2025 issue.
Railing planters
To gain extra growing space, make and hang these easy-to-build planters on almost any wooden fence or deck railing. Use Resene FX Blackboard Paint so you can easily identify what plants are in each. Find out how to create your own with these easy step by step instructions.