Fire and Emergency is urging people to ensure smoke alarms are installed in the bedrooms of their homes - after a house fire in Christchurch claimed the lives of two children

A nine-month-old girl and eight-year-old boy died after the blaze tore through their Vivian Street house.

Assistant Area Commander Mike Bowden has credited smoke alarms in the house for saving the lives of the father and two other children.

While it's not yet known where the fire started it was most intense in the baby's room.

The Area Commander says modern homes often have a lot of electrical equipment in bedrooms - and smoke alarms are designed to wake us up.