Watch: Three dead following 'suspicious' house fire
Jake, 19, had been in the flat for a month, according to Kahlee Coker who had been unable to get a ride to the party. She said his mates had helped her fun-loving and caring friend set up on Friday.
As the drinks kept flowing and party-goers flowed through the house - about 30 attending in total - there were reports of people getting more intoxicated. Shots were being knocked back, one party-goer said.
Jake Hayes.
He had arrived about 2am and within 30 minutes of being there the mood had changed from happy to aggressive and people were fighting on the street, the party-goer said.
The fight had been described by party-goer Liam Johnson, 18, as a silly drunken one between two mates which had started over someone drinking one of Jake's beers.
But it rapidly escalated and suddenly there were six people punching and swinging at each other. Bystanders then swooped in and pulled the fighters apart, Liam said.
After that the atmosphere went flat with people heading home - leaving about eight people in the flat to contemplate the night's events.
Jake headed upstairs with four mates, including Connor Swetman and Bayley Reid who crashed the night in his room, while three other guys stayed downstairs.
Liam left with another friend about 4.30am. Bayley remembered 25-year-old Toni Maree Johnston, who worked at Annah Stretton's retail shop in Hamilton, arriving home from a night in town shortly after. Jake's friends had not seen her at the party.
Toni Maree Johnston.
Not long after the lights went out in the house, a fire took hold and 17-year-old Bayley was woken by loud screams. He looked out the window and saw flames engulfing the house.
Bayley was the last to make it out, despite having woken his friends and thinking they were following right behind. When he arrived, three others - Joseph Soutar, Michael Heyes and Rayne Tawara - had battled the flames and were standing on the footpath.
The Fire Service arrived within minutes of receiving the first call just after 5am. Forty-five firefighters and 13 appliances worked to get the blaze under control.
By morning Connor, Jake and Toni Maree were still unaccounted for.
Speculation about the cause of the fire was rife, but nothing had been confirmed.
Three bodies were recovered on Sunday afternoon, but police expect it will be at least tomorrow before the formal identification process, which includes dental and jewellery checks, is completed and they can be returned to their families.
Connor's aunt Leanne Otto remembered her nephew "Connie" as a cheeky boy who loved his family and was idolised by his little brother Morgan who had only last week got the same haircut as him.
Connor Swetman.
She said news that he was believed to have died in the fire had rocked the family, particularly his mum Sharon Otto, who had lost her "Peanut" and had not returned to the house she shared with him and Morgan since hearing the news. Mourners had left flowers and gifts on the doorstep.
After hearing the news of the fire, his aunt had spent several hours calling Connor's mobile phone from midday Saturday hoping he would pick up. She said the phone eventually stopped ringing and went to voicemail. She was now wondering if it was removed before the fire, as she doubted it would have survived the inferno.
Meanwhile, friends had been donating mobile phones, furniture and clothes to help the three surviving flatmates. Tony Soutar said his son Joseph, who had been living there for more than a year, was last night picking up some of the donated gear after an ex-flatmate put out a call on Facebook for people to drop things off at his garage.
Emergency services spent yesterday reinforcing the remainder of the house, owned by an Auckland property investor, to make it safe for police and fire investigators to re-enter and carry out a scene examination, which was expected to take a week.
Waikato police detective inspector Karl Thornton said the focus of the inquiry would be on what started the fire, which was still being treated as suspicious.
Quality Rental Management, which was managing the property, had been working with police and fire investigators and yesterday provided them with plans for the large two-storey villa, which had once been a commercial property.
Party tragedy
How it happened, based on witness accounts
Friday night
A small number of people are drinking beer and bourbon at the Collingwood St house. Party swells, with about 30 people present.
2am
People are drinking shots and smoking.
2.30am
A fight breaks out on the street.
3am
The party disperses, leaving about eight people in the villa.
4.30am
Toni Maree arrives home.
5am
Flatmates are woken by the fire and the Fire Service arrives minutes later.
