Midwood ran out the door and got in her car, screaming and crying as she called her whānau.
On her way home, Midwood said she was in "hysterics" as she heard "all the sirens going off in Ōmokoroa".
"By the time I got there, they had already put it out and it was just already burnt to the ground - just endless smoke.
"Basically, everything is unsalvageable."
Midwood said she and Soraya moved into the house in February and her daughter was "devastated" after the fire.
"She had the most beautiful bedroom... She knew Mama worked really hard for everything we had."
Midwood said it was "devastating" to lose sentimental things such as important taonga.
"I feel really disassociated, like it just still doesn't feel real but I feel grateful that I'm alive, my baby is alive, my flatmate, everyone is in one piece."
Midwood is now staying with whānau
"You're so completely vulnerable so you have no choice but to accept all the awhi [care] because it's like everyone wants to help. And I think that's the silver lining as well - the power of community and just the strength that it's given me."
She had also received some donations from the community - "just beautiful kākahu [clothing] for my daughter and myself, and kai and some linen and toys for my girl and art supplies."
There were also packages of "goodies," vouchers and one woman also dropped off a TV, she said.
Midwood said she was sharing everything with her flatmate.
"We all lost everything together so it's just about sticking together."
She thanked the firefighters, her neighbours, her community, her friends and whānau.
Three fire trucks, one operational support unit and a fire investigator attended the scene.
Sutton said the investigation into the cause of the fire had been completed and was classified as "undetermined".
"The likely cause was electrical," he said.
"This is a timely reminder for residents to have working smoke alarms and an escape plan. In a real house fire, you have less than three minutes to escape your house."
Fire and Emergency investigator Terry Jordan said the house was "so badly damaged" that it would not be possible to positively identify the cause.