Mt Roskill fire guts refugees’ home as family ‘lose everything’ in massive fire, neighbour busts window to check for children

A refugee says she has “lost everything” in a massive house fire in Auckland in which explosions could be heard across neighbouring suburbs.

The fire, which began around 8pm last night, completely gutted the two-storey property on Fyvie Avenue, a cul-de-sac in Mt Roskill.

No one was home at the time and emergency services said one person was treated for smoke inhalation.

An Ethiopian refugee, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Herald through a translator that she had lived there with another relative for a short time.

She said nothing could be salvaged after the fire and all her belongings had been destroyed.

“Everything – documents, passports. There is nothing,” she said.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand said the fire was "well-involved" by the time firefighters arrived just after 8pm last night.

The woman said she was at a friend’s house nearby last night and did not know how the fire had started.

A neighbour, Joseph Cornwall, said his mother alerted him to the fire, which was two doors down from their property.

“She said ‘There’s a fire, there’s a fire’, and I just ran over, came and smacked in [the front door] window with my hand, went upstairs and called out her name.

“The lady that owned the house was down the road and came running up screaming because she thought her kids were in there ... but they had been picked up earlier.”

Cornwall said it appeared the fire had started in the kitchen on the bottom storey.

Flames from the top windows were several metres in the air and the entire street was filled with smoke, he said.

A fire inspection was taking place this morning. The cause of the fire is not yet known. Photo / Isaac Davison

Explosions caused by the heat breaking the windows were heard in neighbouring suburbs.

“We heard it here on Onslow [Rd in Mt Eden] and [it] shook the house ... Sounds like a bomb,” said one resident on Facebook.

A Fire and Emergency New Zealand shift manager said the fire was “well-involved” by the time firefighters arrived. In all, seven fire trucks battled the blaze with three support vehicles.

Fire and Emergency officers were inspecting the property this morning. Most of the windows were smashed and one side of the house had been badly charred by the fire. Burned furniture was strewn across the front lawn.

A police spokeswoman said one person was reported as needing treatment for smoke inhalation. The cause of the fire was unclear at this stage, she said.

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