Two men trapped and killed in their burning South Auckland home have been remembered as warm and smiling by colleagues at one of the city’s best-known restaurants.
Cafe Hanoi Britomart posted to social media on Wednesday, May 15, to say it was closing its restaurants that night so its team could grieve with the families of Kiwa Ropitini-Fairburn, 25, and Tony Marsters, 24.
Ropitini-Fairburn and Marsters died on Monday when a fire engulfed the Hillpark property they were staying in at 6.55am.
Police confirmed today that the fire was not being treated as suspicious.
A third person suffered serious injuries, but survived after they were helped out of the blaze by a member of the public.
Ropitini-Fairburn and Marsters worked in the kitchen at Cafe Hanoi will be dearly missed, the restaurant posted on its Instagram account.
“We are devastated by the double tragedy of two wonderful members of our kitchen team passing away in a house fire,” it said.
“They will be dearly missed and remembered for their bright smiles, infectious laughter, and not in the least their positivity and warmth. Forever in our hearts.”
Staff and restaurant-goers posted in response, sending their love to the restaurant team and families of Ropitini-Fairburn and Marsters.
“Absolutely devastated, my thoughts and prayers are with you and their families. Tony was a pleasure to work with,” one user wrote.
“Terribly sad. The lengths I flew to eat their cooking. Thank you for your gifts,” another wrote, while a third wrote: “My deepest sympathy to the team and the families of Tony and Kiwa at this heartbreaking time.”
This afternoon, police said in a statement the blaze was not being treated as suspicious.
But, investigators were still awaiting final results before releasing the cause of the fire.
Ropitini-Fairburn’s family, of Ngāti Kahungunu, earlier remembered him as “a lovely, humble, genuine and gentle soul”, a talented kapa haka performer who had toured the world.
Ropitini-Fairburn travelled to Dubai, Italy and China with the Kaihaka Kapa Haka group.
“His fellow members are also in shock and devastated by the loss of their friend/whānau member,” his family said.
“He was like a star in China. Being of large stature, people wanted to touch him. He stole the stage when it came to karaoke too, able to cover a wider range of genres from across the decades.
“Friends he made from across the globe are sending their condolences.”
He had been a member of Kaihaka Kapa Haka since 2017. During this time he performed for the royal family of the United Arab Emirates.
He and Marsters “were like brothers”, his family said.
His kapa haka instructor and family member Eru Rarere-Wilton told the Herald Ropitini-Fairburn was “a beautiful soul”.
“He was just a lovely person, inside and out. He was always a joy to be around. He always brought a great presence with him on stage.
Jonathan Asafo was taking his son to daycare on Monday when they drove past the Freshney Place house and saw the flames, and then helped a man escape the blaze.
“I quickly ... drove right up to the driveway. The first thing I did was beep the horn to alert everybody,” he said.
Asafo got out of his car and alerted the neighbours, for fear that the flames would spread to their property. Then he ran to the back of the burning house, looking for anyone who may need help.
“By the time I got around to the back, the survivor was making his way through the side door. So I quickly came back to the front, checking that he was okay and asking him if there’s anybody else in the house with him.
“He said he had two other mates that are upstairs. They unfortunately didn’t make it.”
Asafo said the man who got out was in his 20s and was badly shaken, and kept referring to his friends who were upstairs and died in the fire.
“He said it was the [sound of the car] horn and the smoke that got him out — and he happened to be the only one sleeping downstairs, while his two mates were sleeping upstairs.”
Asafo said the fire was so fierce when he pulled up, the doors and window frames had melted.
“It was so bright inside the house that you could see the frames of the furniture. That’s how bad it was.”