Stan Walker’s family lose ‘everything’ to house fire

Relatives of Kiwi musician Stan Walker lost belongings and a cat in a house fire on Sunday. Photos / Nailah Smith / Whakaata Maori

Multi-award-winning musician Stan Walker’s family has lost most of their belongings - including one of their cats - to a house fire, with support flooding in.

Walker said the blaze, which destroyed “just about all” belongings in the house and put one cat in the vet and killed the other on Sunday morning, was devastating.

Eldest daughter Nailah Smith took to social media assuring that “everybody is fine, thank God”.

One of Smith’s sisters who lives at the house was pregnant and lost all of the baby’s belongings just ahead of her due date in little over two weeks.

Relatives of multi-award-winning musician Stan Walker lost most of their belongings in a house fire in Ngāruawāhia on Sunday. Photo / Nailah Smith

“We lost one of our cats, Simba, and our other cat, Bear is currently at the vet. But everybody else got out unharmed,” Smith said.

Her mother and father live in the house along with four of Smith’s siblings and her four-year-old niece.

“Just about all of their belongings are destroyed if not heavily damaged by the smoke and cannot be saved.

“My whaanau and surviving pets currently have no home and are split between relatives’ homes at the moment.”

Relatives of multi-award-winning musician Stan Walker lost one of their family cats in a house fire on Sunday. Photo / Nailah Smith

Walker shared a link to a givealittle page for the family to help with immediate needs like clothing, bedding and vet bills.

“So devastating for my whanau. If you can, please help. Any help is fully appreciated. Nga mihi,” Walker said.

Smith said insurance should cover some costs but, “we need immediate help with things like clothing, vet bills, bedding and furniture.”

The page has so far received $13,869 in donations.