A Paengaroa man's trip to the petrol station turned into a mad dash home after being told part of his house was on fire.

Om Parkash's spare bedroom in his house on State Highway 2 at Paengaroa caught fire from a lamp shorting out about 7pm Tuesday, quickly filling the house with smoke.

Om Parkash inspects the charred area of the spare bedroom of his Paengaroa home. Photo: Bruce Barnard.

'I was heading to BP [2km away] for petrol when my wife rung me saying our house was full of smoke and on fire.

'I turned around and rushed home as quickly as I could.”

The 32-year-old kiwifruit worker says when the fire started in the spare bedroom his wife, mother and one-month-old baby boy were in another part of the house with the door closed.

Smelling smoke, Om's wife called her husband, then firefighters and helped get the rest of the family outside.

The spare bedroom is understood to have had a shrine in it with a small light on the altar for Om, who practices the Sikh faith.

Te Puke Volunteer Fire Brigade station officer Ivon Pilcher told SunLive the fire was also spotted by a passing motorist on SH2.

Ivon says the light on the altar has shorted out and set light to some clothing before spreading up the wall and into the ceiling.

The charred area of the spare bedroom of Om Parkash's Paengaroa family home. Photo: Bruce Barnard.

There didn't appear to be any smoke alarms in the house.

Om's wife and baby boy were taken to Tauranga Hospital to be checked for smoke inhalation and have been discharged this morning.

Om, who spent the night with the pair at the hospital, is thankful the fire was contained to one room and his family have come out of the ordeal largely unscathed.

'We are very lucky that the fire didn't spread any further than the spare room.”

Eastern Bay of Plenty fire safety officer John Rewi says no fire safety officer has been called to inspect the room.