A sleep-out on fire wasn't the only hot property emergency services came across at a job this week.
Police said a man whose sleep-out was damaged in a small electrical fire in Nawton on Thursday found himself leaping from the flames into hot water after they began asking why large amounts of cannabis and property were in the room.
Detective Sergeant Neville Ross of the Waikato Tactical Crime Unit said it appeared as though an LPG cylinder in the sleep-out leaked and a spark, possibly from an electrical device, ignited the gas.
"But after the Fire Service had extinguished the blaze and the smoke cleared it became apparent the occupant's bedroom wasn't the only hot property at the address," Ross said.
"Secreted in various locations in the sleep-out was an illegally obtained Ruger semi-automatic rifle, various items of jewellery including rings and necklaces found hidden in a radio, various cameras, electronics, stereo equipment, a projector unit and a set of mag wheels and tyres."
The police are now trying to find the owners of the property found.
- Waikato Times