A Tauranga family has had a lucky escape after their gas bottle caught fire and ignited a couch on the deck.

Tauranga Fire Brigade senior station officer Philip Price says when first called to the incident it was reported as a house fire on Waihi Road Thursday evening.

'It was quite spectacular. The occupants had bought the barbecue for $10 from like a garage sale or something.”

Philip says it appears either the hose or the connection was faulty.

'It was hard to tell which because everything was completely burnt.
'Being an old hose, gas had been leaking and flash back to the leak ignited the cylinder.”

Philip says the occupants were excited about the whole incident.