Help for family who lost everything in house blaze

An Omapere couple is finding comfort in the generosity of family, friends and complete strangers after losing everything they owned in a devastating house fire.

Chantal and Rui de Souza and their two young sons, Memphis and Matias, escaped unhurt but with only the clothes they were wearing when their house erupted in flames on May 12.

Friend Carl Mann has mounted an appeal for donations to help the family piece a home together again, and the Omapere Volunteer Fire Brigade is also collecting any items of use to a young family.

The de Souzas are staying with Mrs de Souza's mother at Omapere in the meantime. They have no transport because their car, parked beside the house, also went up in flames.

Anyone with goods to donate can call Mrs de Souza on (09) 405-8154 or call/text volunteer firefighter Richard Naera on 021 110-5365. Mr Naera will arrange to have the items picked up at Omapere Fire Station and pass them on to the family.

The blaze started in the fireplace of the wooden house they had rented for five months. Mr de Souza was asleep on the living room couch when he was woken by the heat of the fire still contained under the floor and in the wall cavities.

After alerting his wife the couple grabbed their sleeping babies and rushed outside. Only moments later the house was engulfed in flames.

Earlier that day the couple had discussed an escape plan should the house ever catch fire.