The awkward moment in which a security door prevented firefighters from reaching a burning house has gone viral on TikTok.
Footage from New Zealand shows a firefighter struggling to pry open a home’s screen door with a Halligan bar and what appears to be a sledgehammer.
Flames can be seen rising inside what appeared to be the home’s kitchen as three other people put on personal protective equipment and prepare to enter.
When the clip ends 30 seconds later, firefighters had still not managed to enter the house.
Yesterday a man shared the video on a personal account called Lthompsonnz, with the caption “when the neighbor left the stove on.”
The video has been viewed more than 120,000 times and received hundreds of comments from amused viewers.
Many of the comments questioned why the firefighters seemed “in no hurry” and instead didn’t break a window.
“Replacing the side window would be much cheaper than replacing the door,” one person wrote.
“I’m surprised they don’t just use a battery-powered angle grinder with a cutting wheel for things like this,” another person said.
Another firefighter has since taken to the comments section and said the men did a “normal job” but fortunately “time is on their side.”
It is still unclear how firefighters got in and the extent of the damage.
Footage from New Zealand shows a firefighter struggling to open a home’s security screen door with a Halligan bar and what appears to be a sledgehammer.