Four other teenagers including Sayler Hutchinson-Clarke and Corey McLean had stayed the night.
"It was just awful. By the time we got there the fire was throughout the house," said neighbour Julie Stechmann.
"There was a lot of panic and confusion." She believed the fire started in the kitchen and dining area and that everyone was asleep in the bedrooms when it broke out. "They were woken by the smoke detectors and they thought everyone was out." McLean had tried to get a pregnant woman in her 20s out of the house when he got trapped.
"They thought he was out."
The seven who made it out of the house were taken to hospital with smoke inhalation but were discharged hours later.
Last night former girlfriend Ashley Rose Mockford paid tribute to McLean on Facebook, writing "I can't believe you're gone I'm broken come back please."
Other friends set up a memorial page dedicated to McLean.
The Housing New Zealand property was badly damaged in the blaze and the shaken family are in a hotel for the weekend until emergency accommodation can be found tomorrow.
Stechmann appealed to the public for clothing, food and household items for the family who lost everything in the fire.
"They have nothing apart from what they were wearing, some of them were not even wearing shoes."
The death has been referred to the coroner.
