Victim of fire 'amazed' by offers of help

Family and friends of Tori Annan and Blair Falleni salvage what they can from a house fire at the couple's flat at 8/13 Merton Crescent, in Napier.

A pregnant woman who lost everything in a house fire has been overwhelmed by support from the community.

Offers of nappies, bassinets, furniture and food have all been flooding in for 20-year-old Tori Annan as she begins the process of rebuilding her life.

Ms Annan said "it still doesn't feel real" in the wake of the fire that gutted her Napier home.

She and partner Blair Falleni are expecting their first child on December 4. She said she was doing "all right" and taking things one day at a time.

She was staying with her father in Greenmeadows.

The Greenmeadows New World Cafe worker said it was "amazing" how the community has responded.

"My step mum posted on Facebook and so many people have commented with offers of clothes, toys and nappies."

She was hopeful of finding a flat before her baby is born.

"I think a newborn might cramp my dad's style a bit, so fingers crossed we find something soon."

The young couple are currently jumping between Ms Annan's father and her grandmother while they save up some money and work out how to move forward.

Ms Annan said neighbours alerted authorities who attended the fire at around 6.54pm on Sunday.

She had been out picking up a few groceries and returned home to her home engulfed in flames. "We came home and our house was in flames.

"We lost absolutely everything."

Ms Annan said she is still unsure what caused the fire.

Mark McGill from NZ Fire Service's Napier station confirmed this, saying while the service was unaware at this stage as to the cause of the blaze, it began in the kitchen and three fire appliances - including one from Hastings - attended the incident.

He said they were on the scene for about one hour and 40 minutes.