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Photo: Supplied \/ Annemarie van der Slot-Verhoeven\n<\/p>\n
A smoke alarm should be enough to detect a smouldering fire, according to Fire and Emergency.<\/p>\n
It comes as a Lower Hutt resident is urging people to install a carbon monoxide alarm.<\/p>\n
While it is not a requirement in New Zealand, all rental properties in the United Kingdom have to ensure one is in any room containing a fixed combustion appliance – such as a boiler, wood burner, or gas fire.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, Annemarie van der Slot-Verhoeven woke up to the alarm of her carbon monoxide detector around 2am.<\/p>\n
While van der Slot-Verhoeven smelled smoke the night before, she thought it was from her wood burner.<\/p>\n
“When we woke up we had no idea what was happening,” she said.<\/p>\n
Van der Slot-Verhoeven said the wood burner was out, and there were no flames, so she could not figure out why the detector was blaring.<\/p>\n
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Photo: Supplied \/ Annemarie van der Slot-Verhoeven\n<\/p>\n
That was until she noticed smoke coming out from under her deck, and van der Slot-Verhoeven called 111.<\/p>\n
“The absolute[ly] fabulous firefighters from Avalon were there really quickly,” she said.<\/p>\n
“Turned out the floor and beams under the fireplace were smoldering.”<\/p>\n
Van der Slot-Verhoeven said the fire had already burned through one joist.<\/p>\n
“How this all happened is a mystery, as the wood burner was not cracked at the bottom,” she added.<\/p>\n
“It was an old fellow, but installed correctly, and maintained every year.”<\/p>\n
Van der Slot-Verhoeven was concerned that her smoke alarm had not gone off.<\/p>\n
“The smoldering was just under our bed basically.<\/p>\n
“It could have been so much worse.<\/p>\n
“Luckily our family is safe and sound … a scary night, and quite some material damage, but we can solve that.”<\/p>\n
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Photo: Supplied \/ Annemarie van der Slot-Verhoeven\n<\/p>\n
However, Fire and Emergency told RNZ that a smoke alarm would provide a wider coverage of the hazardous products created in a fire.<\/p>\n
“While a carbon monoxide detector did provide an early warning in this case, this is rare, and we would usually see smoke present even when a fire is smouldering,” a spokesperson said.<\/p>\n
Fire and Emergency recommended people have a smoke alarm in every bedroom, living room, and hallway.<\/p>\n
Fires increase by 29 percent during winter<\/p>\n
Fire and Emergency said the number of fires, related to heating, increased by 29 percent during winter.<\/p>\n
“It is important that people keep any flammable objects, like couches, clothes, and beds at least a metre from heaters, wood burners, and open fires,” a spokesperson told RNZ.<\/p>\n
It also recommended to have a wood burner checked and serviced regularly, especially older ones, and to have the chimney swept every year.<\/p>\n