She said the coastal block of land was owned by a number of family members and the building had been the main homestead.
"Everything they owned was in there. They only have the clothes they are standing in and the car they were driving," he said.
"He had taken the motors off the boats because of Cyclone Pam and they were in the back shed too."
The family had no insurance. Hearing about the tragedy, members of a church group from Hikurangi had visited the family on Thursday with food, clothes for the children, aged 3, 4, 6, 11, 15 and 17, and a barbecue.
"We were just overwhelmed by their help," said Mrs Albert.
They would be in a woolshed, just 100m from their home, that had power and water until they could rebuild.
Fire investigator Craig Bain said it appeared a multi-plug box had sparked the blaze.