‘Get out, get out, get out’: Children heard screaming as Auckland home destroyed by fire

The screams of children could be heard as a fire rapidly took hold of a house in Auckland overnight.

Six fire trucks were called to the fire on Hillsborough Rd in Mt Roskill shortly before 1am on Saturday, Fire and Emergency shift manager Josh Pennefather​ said.

Ashna Achari​ had not long gone to bed after a night out when she heard children screaming next door.

“I heard the next door neighbours yelling ‘get out, get out, get out’.

“I knew something was not right.”

When she opened her curtains, she saw flames coming from the neighbours’ basement windows.

As she was on the phone to emergency services, Achari saw the family, including four children and five adults, fleeing from the house.

Ten minutes later, half of the house was on fire.

“It was so scary, especially when they were trying to get the kids out.

“I didn’t realise how quickly and how fast fire can just engulf the whole house.”

Firefighters had to rescue two people from the property, Pennefather said. Hato Hone St John Ambulance confirmed three people were taken to hospital in a moderate condition.

They have since been discharged from hospital.

An hour after firefighters arrived, the fire was still blazing, Achari said.

She feared her house would also catch fire due to the wind direction and their homes being so close.

“The smoke had come into our house as well, so we had to evacuate.”

At an evacuation point down the road, Achari, her mother and the neighbours were given blankets as it was cold and raining.

It was 4.30am by the time Achari’s home was deemed safe to return to.

Firefighters went onto Achari’s balcony to put out the fire. She had spent the morning cleaning their dirty footprints out of the carpet.

CCTV cameras down the side of Achari’s property – installed only a month prior – captured a flickering light in the neighbours’ basement, which fire investigators suggested to her was a candle. Investigations are ongoing.

Burnt furniture, including a children’s bunk bed, could be seen through the house’s smashed windows.

The fire appeared to have licked the corner of the roof belonging to another neighbour.

Smoke could still be smelt in the air at 10.30am.

A fire investigator would be at the property on Saturday, however the fire is not being treated as suspicious.