Fire destroys century-old family home

KELLY BURNS
An Omahu home built more than a century ago, was almost totally destroyed by fire early today.
The family of eight who lived in the house were away on holiday in Hamilton, and were not home at the time of the blaze.
Station Officer Reg Burrell said the Fire Service were called to the house at 1am and fought the blaze for more than three hours.
Mr Burrell said the house was 60 percent destroyed. Kerry Karena, whose brother Peter lived at the home, inspected the damage this morning.
"It's a little bit sad. I grew up here," he said.
Mr Karena, who lives behind the family home, was woken by police early this morning asking if anyone was inside the burning house.
When he went outside the house was ablaze, and tried to telephone his brother.
When his brother returned his calls this morning, he had to break the news.
"He just said, 'you're kidding, man, all my stuff is in there'," Mr Karena said.
He was not sure whether the family was insured.
Mr Karena said it was fortunate no one had been home at the time.
"The main thing is that they are safe," he said.
His brother's family were on the way back to Omahu this morning.
Mr Karena said the family were planning to move to Waimarama, where Peter owns a horse-trekking company, the following week.
Mr Karena said his great grandfather built the three-bedroom house in the early 1900s.
"It's going to affect a few families out here - we have seen a few generations at this house," he said.
He said the Karena family had lived in the house over the decades, and he had grown up in the home with his 12 brothers and sisters.
"I've got a few memories all right, the deer, goats, cows - I used to milk the cows in the back paddock - it was a mad place," he said.
The home was opposite the school, and he remembered all the kids coming back and playing over the years.
However, Mr Karena said the house was beginning to show its age.
"In a way I'm glad it burnt down, it was looking a bit rough and past its use-by-date and needed repair."
"But it was a good home back in its day," he said. Fire safety officers and CIB staff were investigating the scene this morning.