Firefighters young and old are getting hands-on training in Dunedin

A house in the suburb of Concord is being burned in a controlled manner today, to give personnel from Dunedin and Invercargill, the chance to train on how to deal with a house fire.

The Salvation Army has donated more than 100 couches and mattresses to help the training.

Otago Fire and Emergency's general manager Craig Geddes says this is an incredibly important exercise.

He says the controlled burn allows firefighters to practice fundamental skills in a safe and controlled manner.