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A fire destroyed a Katikati vicarage, claiming the resident family’s dog, Billie.
The Katikati community has rallied to support the Macfarlane family, offering a temporary home.
The fire’s cause is undetermined, but the church and nearby homes were spared.
A church minister’s family of six lost almost everything they had in a devastating vicarage fire - including their beloved mini schnauzer dog, Billie.
Despite their overwhelming loss and tiredness, the Macfarlane family has emphasised how thankful they are for the firefighters and the support from their community in Katikati, north of Tauranga.
The community has rallied with countless offers of help, and they have been offered a home to ground themselves for the next few months to heal and rebuild their lives.
A fire destroyed a Katikati vicarage, claiming the resident family’s dog, Billie.
The Katikati community has rallied to support the Macfarlane family, offering a temporary home.
Jonathan Macfarlane is the minister in charge of St Peter’s Anglican Church. He and his family - wife Lauren and children Jack, Jemma, Louisa, Leo, and Loretta - joined the community last year and lived in the vicarage at the back of the church on Carisbrook St.
Jonathan said on March 10, at 7.15pm a fire took hold in one of the children’s bedrooms.
Lauren and Jack were on a bike ride and the others were watching television.
Jonathan said he smelled smoke, which he assumed was from outside.
“Then I saw smoke coming from a bedroom and the bed was on fire. I sent the four kids out the door to the church, and emptied a fire extinguisher into the bed, however I believe the walls had likely caught fire at that point.
“I was coughing on smoke while clearly aware I had to prioritise my children.
“Grabbing only my wallet, keys, and wife’s bag on the way out, I dialled 111 and I took the kids to the front of the church.”
The cause of the fire has been classified as undetermined. Photo / Supplied
Three fire trucks from Katikati and one each from Mayor View and Ōmokoroa, attended the fire. The first attending crew found the house well-involved in fire.
The fire was under control by around 7.55pm and extinguished a short time later after firefighters in breathing apparatus accessed the ceiling and roof. Crews remained on scene to dampen down hot spots until around 9.40pm.
A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesperson said a specialist fire investigator attended the next day and had classified the cause of the fire as undetermined.
The undetermined classification is used when a cause cannot be proven to an acceptable level of certainty.
The historic church was spared, along with the garage and possessions inside, and neighbour’s homes.
Billie, sadly, ran under a bed in the commotion.
Jonathan said the local Baptist pastor had helped him bury her.
He said firefighters know the origin of the fire was in the bedroom, but not the cause of it.
The fire gutted the home but spared the church. Photo / Supplied
“The side/bottom of the single bed base caught fire. They ruled out ground-level electrical faults, and all other potential heat sources were accounted for as best as possible.
“No children had been in the room for 40 minutes. I was told there’s a high chance it’s a freak accident such as an exploding lightbulb and we won’t know why.
“No evidence could be found of arson.
“What I wanted most in the first 24 hours was answers, and indeterminate cause with known origin is all we have.”
The family was working through the insurance process with the parish and diocesan.
They were grateful to be offered the furnished house at Waihi Beach.
“We’d like to extend heartfelt thanks to everyone who has supported and cared. To St Peter’s Anglican Church, Bishop Philip Richardson and our Waikato Taranaki Diocese, Katikati Combined Churches, and Christian Foodbank, Katikati Stags Rugby Club, friends around the country including some who came from the Manawatū, and the town which we’ve been welcomed into - thank you.
“I’d also like to extend our deepest gratitude and admiration to Katikati Fire Brigade and all the firefighters who came to serve,” Jonathan said.
