Firefighters smashed their way into a burning Auckland home last night to rescue a young man who'd woken to fire but became disoriented and couldn't get out. 

The man was taken from his home in Kitemoana St, Ōrākei, to hospital in a serious condition, but was fortunate enough firefighters were on duty to save him, firefighters' union boss Wattie Watson said. 

"Last night Parnell [Fire Station] did have sufficient career crew and were able to rescue a man from his burning home. 

"But today there are not enough career firefighters to staff Parnell station," the New Zealand Professional Firefighters' Union national secretary said. 

The union's members last week began industrial action against Fire and Emergency New Zealand over pay and conditions, including concerns of under-staffing - with some firefighters working up to 100 hours a week to keep crews available - and claims the vehicle fleet had been allowed to get too old, with increasing breakdowns. 

This led to some career firefighter stations closing, fire trucks being taken offline and firefighters riding in unsafe short-crews to keep the fire trucks responding, the union alleged. 

Fire and Emergency have rejected the union's claims, with chief executive Kerry Gregory last month accusing the union of using "alarmist language" around staffing. 

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"We've got enough staff to ensure that we provide the service that we need to New Zealand," Gregory told RNZ. 

This home in Kitemoana St, Ōrākei, was badly damaged by fire last night. Photo / Supplied 

Emergency services were alerted to last night's Ōrākei fire about 10.20pm, with the rescued man found to be in a serious condition with smoke inhalation, police said this morning. 

"Further inquiries are ongoing into the circumstances of the fire." 

The man had been sleeping and woke to fire, Watson, the union boss, said. 

"He became disoriented in smoke and couldn't escape. The first firefighters to arrive from Parnell station found the house well ablaze. 

"Firefighters smashed their way into the house, located the occupant and pulled the man to safety." 

He was taken to hospital by ambulance, Watson said. 

The incident showed minutes mattered when lives were at risk. 

"If ever we need a reason why we don't close fire stations this is it. If last night's house fire happened today a fire truck from another station would have to respond. 

"Minutes can cost lives." 

Last month, a fire officer told RNZ a delay in reaching a Parnell apartment fire could've led to people being trapped inside. 

The two residents got out, suffering minor burns and singed hair, but the three-storey apartment was gutted. 

His pump truck had to come from the City station six or seven minutes away, because the Parnell pumper one minute away was out of action due to lack of staff, Sulu Devoe said. 

Fire and Emergency denied there was any delay, with two Parnell station trucks arriving within six minutes of the 111 call - "well within the standard", region manager Ron Devlin said. 

One of the trucks had been moved to the station as part of contingency planning to cover for a Parnell truck that was unavailable. 

But Devoe, who stood by his account that he was the first officer on the scene, told RNZ if the residents had been stuck inside during the initial response, hoses couldn't have been started and firefighters couldn't have got into the building until his pump truck arrived there. 

"They were very lucky ... [if] another minute or two [had passed] and they hadn't exited the apartment, we would've had to make entry to try to drag or bring them out." 

Delays also compromised the response to a fire at a jewellery business in the south Auckland suburb of Takanini last month, frontline firefighters said. 

A specialist big ladder-truck had to come from 20km away, instead of 9km, because the closer truck was being serviced. 

There was no delay getting to the Takanini fire, Fire and Emergency said at the time. 

A Wellington fire in February, and its subsequent investigation, also triggered claims Fire and Emergency was whitewashing problems, which the agency denied.