Young Auckland family lose everything in ‘devastating’ house fire

The Wilkinson family home, in Auckland's Stillwater, was destroyed by a fire on December 29. Photo / Supplied

• Emergency services were called to a house fire in Auckland’s Stillwater suburb on December 29.
• The fire destroyed the Wilkinson family’s home, and everything inside.
• A Givealittle has been set up to help the young family build their lives again.

A young Auckland family are entering the new year with little but the clothes on their backs after a “devastating” house fire.

The fire tore through the Wilkinson family’s home on Sunday, December 29, destroying it and their belongings inside.

The Wilkinson family pictured with their daughter Thea, 4 and their son Laken, 2. Photo / Supplied

Fire and Emergency were called to the fire at 1.42pm.

Jake and Richelle Wilkinson had been running errands when they got a call from their neighbour.

“He just said, ‘Mate, your house is on fire’,” Jake told the Herald.

Despite extensive efforts from neighbours and firefighters, the fire destroyed their home and everything in it in a matter of minutes.

The Wilkinson's home in Auckland's Stillwater suburb, was destroyed in a fire on December 29. Photo / Supplied

“We were there before the firemen and even by the time we got there, it was already too far gone,” said Jake.

Fifteen trucks, tankers and support vehicles attended the blaze.

The fire was contained around 2.50pm, but crews were still dampening down hotspots around 6pm. The last crew left the scene around 7.20pm.

Neighbours helped put out the house fire but the Wilkinson family lost everything.

Jake and Richelle and their two young children, Thea, 4 and Laken, 2, are now trying to pick up the pieces.

“We just feel numb really, it hasn’t sunk in,” said Richelle.

“By the time the fire was out, everything was gone, even the piles,” said Jake.

Richelle said one of the most difficult things is remembering that they’ve lost not just the house, but all their possessions too.

“We have moments where we think, ‘I’ll go grab that’, and we remember it’s just gone ... we’ve just lost everything,” she said.

A scorched bike among the rubble of the destroyed house. Photo / Supplied

“I’m still just in my flip flops ... like we really don’t have anything left,” added Jake.

Not only was the house their first as a young family, but it was also Richelle’s family home.

“We were hoping it would become something we could pass down the generations,” she said.

“We’re just trying to stay strong for the kids and keep them happy.”

A Givealittle page has since been created by Richelle’s sister, Moana Meeking.

The house was the family's first. Photo / Givealittle

“They are in urgent need of essential items like clothes, shoes and basic necessities in the meantime,” it said.

“Donations will go directly towards helping them meet these immediate needs as they begin to rebuild their lives.”

The page, made on Monday, has already generated $21,621 in donations.

Jake and Richelle said the support has been “overwhelming”.

“The whole community has been incredible, we’ve had people donating clothes and toys, it’s just amazing,” said Jake.

Richelle was relieved the fire didn’t damage any of the neighbouring houses.

“We’re just grateful that no one else was affected by what happened. It is an awful thing to happen, it would’ve been that much worse if it had affected anyone else,” she said.

A fire investigation is ongoing.

“At this stage, it is likely an accidental fire due to an unspecified electrical event,” said a Fire and Emergency spokesperson.

Katie Oliver is a Christchurch-based multimedia journalist and breaking news reporter.