The wreckage of Harry Horman's property in Te Puna after the fire that left him with nothing. Photo / Ayla Yeoman
Harry Horman was in tears describing the devastation of a mystery fire that destroyed his caravan and all but one of his nine classic cars.
On Sunday emergency services were called to a fire on Ainsworth Road at 7.03pm.
The Fire and Emergency crews were there until 2am on Monday extinguishing the blaze which was classified as “third alarm level”.
More than 10 crews and fire trucks attended the blaze, a spokesperson told SunLive.
Horman, a classic and muscle car collector and local panel beater, lost everything but the clothes on his back.
“One minute you’re fine, the next you’ve got nothing,” said Horman, who managed to save one of his cars at the start of the blaze.
“I do not really know how it started, but I was just watching TV in my home, my caravan – that’s all I had – and I saw smoke coming around the side of the building [shed].
“I went round and the side of the building was on fire. I used up three fire extinguishers to try and put it out but it wasn’t going out.”
The fire got bigger and spread quickly, he said.
Inside the shed were several gas canisters like LPG bottles and welding bottles.
“They all blew up and all the fuel in the cars eventually blew up.”
These caused several explosions and firefighters told him the fire reached 1000C.
He’s been trying to keep himself busy mowing the lawns and sifting through rubble, trying to salvage whatever he can find.
“I’ve been dragging out some tractors that were at the back of the shed, which is slightly scorched but okay.”
He had been living out of his caravan, and when it was completely burned to the ground, he was left without a roof over his head.
Since the blaze the Te Puna community had rallied around him.
A friend offered him a place to stay, and several people visited him, bringing shoes, clothing, food, and support.
After learning about the incident on Facebook, the owner and operator of Domino’s Bureta, Harkirat Singh, wanted to help.
On Thursday, March 13, for every pizza sold from 11am-8pm at the establishment, one dollar will go towards fundraising.
“We believe that by raising awareness of Harry’s situation, we can encourage more members of our community to come forward and offer their support,” Singh said.
“At least I’m alive. I could be dead, but no, I’m still here with a few battle scars.”
A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesperson said they considered the blaze accidental.
Horman is amazed by the level of support he has received from the community. “It really blew me away. There are nice people out there.”
To support, visit Domino’s Bureta on Thursday, March 13, between 11am-8pm to help raise some money.
