Newly Adopted Dog Credited With Saving Man in Whakatāne Blaze

A Whakatāne man escaped a house fire this morning after being woken by a rescue dog adopted just days earlier.

A Whakatāne man escaped a house fire this morning after being woken by a rescue dog adopted just three days earlier.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand were called to a "well ablaze" house fire just after 6.30am.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand shift manager Blair Walklin said five fire appliances attended from Whakatāne, Taneatua, Edgecumbe, Ōhope and Kawerau.

He said two crews remained on scene throughout the morning dampening hotspots alongside a fire investigator.

Police said crews were also at the scene assisting with traffic control.

Cusack Partners Property Management Christina Eichler said the house was occuppied by their tenants. 

Eichler said tamariki had been staying elsewhere overnight, and the lone male occupant was woken by the dog after the fire started.

"If it wasn't for the dog biting him to say wake up, he wouldn't have survived."

Hato Hone St John said one ambulance and one operations manager responded to the scene.

It said their ambulance crew has treated and transported one patient in a moderate condition to Whakatāne Hospital.

"The minute he called me, I went to the house and then I went to the hospital with him," Eichler said. 

Eichler said she had spent the day organising accommodation for the family and receiving donations from the community.

“We did have something but it fell through, we don't really have anything else vacant at the moment.

“My office is chock-a-block with clothes so they don't need any more of that but definitely when they get a house they're going to need pretty much everything.”

Among the large amount of donated items were blankets and dog treats.

The Ōhope Lions have reached out to Eichler personally to offer their support. 

"The community pulled together and filled up my office for him."

"I don't even really know what to say really apart from the fact that I'm just glad they're alive." 

Once a new residence has been arranged, Eichler said another appeal for household items will be made.