65-year-old Tesimale Kisona was a well-known member of the Tuvaluan community in West Auckland. Photo / Facebook
65-year-old Tesimale Kisona was a well-known member of the Tuvaluan community in West Auckland. Photo / Facebook
A 10-year-old boy sent to his room to practise his times tables accidentally started a fatal house fire by playing with a lighter.
The Monday evening blaze at a unit on Swanson Rd in West Auckland claimed the life of the boy's grandfather, Tesimale Kisona, a well-known member of the Tuvaluan community.
The 65-year-old was initially thought to have been trying to get to children inside the home before collapsing outside, where paramedics tried desperately to save his life.
But a day on, relatives now believe Mr Kisona - whose exact cause of death is not yet known - may have become overwhelmed and simply collapsed after rushing to safety with his wife Alufou and their 10-year-old grandson, who lived with them.
Family member Laine Steven told the Herald they were gathering to support Mr Kisona's six children, grandchildren and wife.
Mrs Steven said Mrs Kisona had relayed what happened just a few hours after her husband died.
"When the grandchild came back from school, Tesimale told him: 'After you eat, go and do your times tables in the room.'
"After that, [the grandson] went into the room. Tesimale's wife was sleeping in the lounge and stood up and went to cook some fish. Then they heard the grandson screaming in the room - that he was on fire.
The burnt-out unit on Swanson Rd. Photo / Nick Reed
"The wife stood up and, as she opened the door, the fire was everywhere in the room. Luckily the grandson didn't lock the door."
Mrs Kisona called out to her husband, who told his wife and grandson to get out.
"He picked up two bags, including his Bible bag, and they walked outside. They were all outside and the smoke was all over the place."
The family quickly warned neighbours - whose flats adjoin the family's unit - to get out. Everyone began walking down the long driveway towards the road.
"Alufou said she was standing on the main road and when she walked back to look for Tesimale, she saw people running towards their mailbox. Then she saw him on the [ground]."
Paramedics arrived and carried out CPR on Mr Kisona, but he died at the scene.
Relatives are now rallying to support the grandson, who told family he had been playing with a lighter.
Mrs Steven said the youngster admitted to lighting a piece of paper, which then caught on to a mattress. The boy reached for what he thought was water to douse the blaze, but it was possibly some kind of accelerant, Mrs Steven said.
She did not believe smoke alarms had been installed in the rental property.
Police said the incident was another "terrible reminder" about the importance of keeping lighters and matches away from children.
