Man injured in Paengaroa house fire
A 45-year-old man is being treated at Tauranga Hospital for serious burns to both legs and his left arm after a pot of oil burst into flames and then exploded at his Paengaroa home this morning.
Maketu Fire Chief Shane Beech said firefighters from Maketu and Te Puke were called to the kitchen fire at the man's home on State Highway 33 just before 11.30am after the pot of cooking oil on the stove burst into flames, then exploded when water was poured onto it to try to put the fire out.
The male owner of the house suffered smoke insulation, he said.
Mr Beech said the house was quite severely damaged in the fire, but the damage was mainly contained to the kitchen area.
