Photos all Waimauku family has left after fire guts home

Robert McGinty stands in the garage of his rented Waimauku home that was destroyed by fire. The family escape with only a few photos. Photo / Greg Bowker

A few photos are all a Waimauku family has left after a fire gutted their rented home as they watched helplessly from their front lawn.

However, the tight-knit community on Auckland's West Coast has rallied behind them as offers of supplies and essentials flood in.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand was alerted to the fire on Amber Place yesterday by an unusual number of 111 calls reporting the incident, a spokesman said.

Crews arrived on the scene around 3.30pm to find the house well involved in flames and a second alarm was then activated.

Six fire trucks in total attended with units coming from Kumeu and Muriwai fire stations.

Most of the fire trucks left at 6pm, while the final clean up was completed around 9pm.

A local community Facebook page has rallied behind the family to help them rebuild.

A thread detailing their loss has been inundated with offers of beds, bedding, clothing, food and everything in between.

Katrina Rust who lives one block over from the family said the family had lost everything in the blaze.

She was helping co-ordinate supplies for the mother, father and three boys.

As the family watched their home burn the mother in an attempt to save something ran into the house.

"She managed to run in and grab some photos and put them out on the grass."

The father had been outside when he noticed a fire in the garage of the house but it only took a few minutes for the flames to spread to the house.

"They have lost everything. The whole house was gutted."

The family was very "emotional" and were meeting with fire investigators today before picking up some supplies from Rust.

Helping one another was just a part of life for the tight-knit Muriwai community, she said.

Waimauku School principal Gary Pasfield said the school was planning to run a gold coin donation day to help support the family.

Three boys, in years 7, 2 and 1, attended the school, he said.

"The mum said she was overwhelmed by the support."

Earlier this year the school had run a gold coin donation for another family who had lost their home in a blaze.