Generosity overwhelms grieving family

CHARRED REMAINS: Fire investigator Michael Champtaloup searches for the cause of last week's house fire in Waitangi.

The response to the plight of a Waitangi family who lost their home and grandmother in one night last week has been so overwhelming they have asked for any further donations to go to other families in need.

The home of Ricky Tangira and Mei Apiata was gutted by a blaze, thought to have started in the chimney of their open fireplace, on Tuesday night last week. Also in the home were eight grandchildren, ranging in age from 3 to 14, all of whom were taken to safety by quick-thinking neighbours.

Moments later the house was engulfed in flames, destroying much of what the family owned.

They went to nearby Te Tii Marae for the night, but a second tragedy followed when Ms Apiata died in her sleep early the next morning.

Opua resident Cynthia Hemara launched an online appeal for clothing, furniture and other necessities for the family.

The response was so immediate that the family have now asked that donations be put on hold while they sort through what has been given so far, and dealt with the death of Ms Apiata.

Anyone still keen to donate items could give then instead to the Finkk (Families in Need Kerikeri) charity run by Kerikeri woman Monika Welch. Those goods are distributed to struggling families across the Far North.

Ms Apiata's funeral was held over the weekend, while the family have moved to a home in Moerewa.

Meanwhile, fire investigator Michael Champtaloup has determined that the cause of the blaze was pyrolysis, in which wood that becomes extremely dry from prolonged heating can ignite at relatively low temperatures.

The fireplace had been in use all day, and timber inside the wall had been exposed to heat through gaps in the chimney's masonry until it eventually ignited. The fire had been supervised all day, and the blaze was in no way the family's fault, he said.

- Anyone wishing to donate to Finkk can make contact by sending a message via its Facebook page (The House of Finkk) or to Ms Welch on (027) 378-8674. Donors can also contact Ms Hemara on (020) 4006-1746.