House-fire victim's missing pet found

Jacqueline Blackbourn. Photo / Supplied

The pet cat of a woman who died in her burning home has been found and is being cared for by friends.

Fire safety investigators yesterday finished their scene examination of English immigrant Jacqueline Blackbourn's View Rd home in Glenfield on Auckland's North Shore but police are expected to be there until Monday.

They are yet to speak to the 43-year-old's former partner Steve Ellis, who is in Middlemore Hospital with serious burns, about Saturday night's blaze.

He was found in the backyard in his underpants saying: "I couldn't get to her".

Ms Blackbourn's cat Monet - named after the French artist because of his multi-coloured coat and his owner's love of painting - had been missing since the fire started.

Friends came to the house looking for her but didn't find her until Wednesday.

Detective Senior Sergeant Kim Libby, of the North Shore CIB, said a neighbour phoned police saying there was "a strange cat hanging around and it wouldn't go away".

A friend, Sean Lynch, said in a tribute to Ms Blackbourn on Facebook that he had found Monet and would take good care of her.

" I am so happy to have [had] you in my life for the last three years and I am going to miss you heaps and I will always have a spot in my heart for you," Mr Lynch said in his tribute.

"You have done so much for me and [son] Reece (baby bear) and I will tell Reece about you when he gets older.

"You are not gone but with us now watching over us in spirit and in our minds and hearts and we will meet up again in the future."

Ms Blackbourn's brother Tommaso Cerullo said the family was looking at holding a service for his sister in New Zealand.

She will be cremated and her ashes taken back to England.

"Thank you all for your concerns about how Jacque will be finally put to rest, we will keep you all informed about what is happening as soon as we have sorted it all out. Looks like we will have her cremated and have a service to say good bye to her then bring her ashes back."

Friend Karl Hawthorne said Ms Blackbourn's "many, many friends" in Auckland would appreciate being able to farewell her in New Zealand.

Fire safety investigator Ray Coleman, who has been at the house with another investigator and the police since Sunday, told the Herald they had wrapped up the scene examination.

He would not comment on how the fire started.

Any fire where a death was involved took time to ensure all possibilities had been covered.

"We need to know as much as we can about how the fire started, where it started and why it started."