Two homes were "well ablaze" and had to be extinguished by firefighters. Photo: Pretoria Gordon / RNZ
Two separate house fires in the eastern suburbs of Christchurch have been contained.
The first, a two-storey house in Phillipstown, was "well ablaze" when Fire and Emergency responded about 7.45am on Wednesday morning.
Fire and Emergency shift manager Ryan Dawson said it had initially responded with two firetrucks from the Christchurch City fire brigade, but a further two firetrucks - one from Spreydon and one from Woolston - were sent following a second alarm.
The fire was extinguished by 8.18am.
Dawson said a fire investigator had attended the scene and completed an investigation.
He said it was not being treated as suspicious but the cause was unknown.
Later on Wednesday afternoon, Dawson said crews had responded to multiple 111 calls of a house on fire in North New Brighton shortly before 3pm.
The house was also "well ablaze" when three firetrucks - two from the Anzac Station and one from Woolston - arrived.
An additional firetruck as well as a support vehicle was then sent to the scene.
One firetruck, the support vehicle, and a fire investigator remain at the site in North New Brighton.
It is also not being treated as suspicious, but a fire investigator is still working to determine the cause.
"Both these incidents serve as a reminder for people to ensure they have got working smoke alarms, and to create, or practice their three-step escape plan," Dawson told RNZ.
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