Givealittle fundraising started for Whangārei family affected by Tikipunga house fire

Whangārei and Kamo firefighters at the Tikipunga home on Wednesday. Photo / Avneesh Vincent

The young couple whose home was destroyed in a blaze in Whangārei have been left shaken, family say.

Whānau are gathering support via a Givealittle page for the couple and their two children aged 7 and 3 after they lost everything in the fire on Wednesday night.

The mum had been cooking in the kitchen of the Paramount Parade home when an electrical fault sparked the blaze.

Fire investigator Craig Bain said she tried to put the flames out, but the fire got too big so she bolted with the children.

“She did everything right.”

Firefighters spent two hours extinguishing the flames and bringing hotspots under control. However, the rental property was completely gutted inside. The outside walls remained, but were charred in places and the home’s windows had smashed from the ferocity of the fire.

The woman’s sister wrote on the fundraising page that the family’s car, work gear, and all belongings had been destroyed.

“Fortunately, they are all safe, but they are all shaken from this traumatic incident.”

The sister said the page was a way to give back to the family who had always helped others, including whānau and their community.

Bain earlier said the family had moved into the home from Hamilton about a year ago and had been arranging insurance, which they had not yet managed to complete.

“They’re a genuine, hard-working young couple,” he said. “It’s really sad.”

More than $1500 had been raised in less than 13 hours via the Givealittle page.