Woodburners

The article ‘‘Faulty fire fixed but worry exists’’ (The Timaru Herald, December 1) details the danger of just one wrongly installed firebox.

I urge anyone who had a woodburner installed in 2011 after the earthquakes to have it checked (by a reputable installer). Our insert firebox was found to have a wooden frame too close to the firebox. It was just dumb luck that a deadly house fire didn’t occur.

It’s relatively easy for an experienced installer to remove the fascia from an insert firebox and see if there is a wooden frame. The Timaru District Council duty building officer can check their files. He could tell within minutes that there was a problem with our firebox.

Fire and Emergency NZ show people through burnt out houses for a reason - house fires can kill. These things are like cockroaches there is never just one. Fred Newman Timaru