Man has close escape from severe fire in his Christchurch flat

A Christchurch man has made a quick escape from a fire which severely damaged his home this afternoon.

Rajpal Kalra was shaving in the bathroom of the Peterborough St flat he's only lived in for a month when he heard the fire alarm go off.

He opened the kitchen door to see the room full of flames.

Mr Kalra ran outside, later seeing the meter board inside the kitchen sparking.

A spokesperson for Fire and Emergency New Zealand said firefighters arrived at the scene three minutes after being called at a nearby fire station.

The flat, part of a block of four, was well-ablaze on arrival but the fire was quickly extinguished, the spokesperson said.

It's not being treated as suspicious.