Thieves loot home after fire

BY EVAN HARDING AND CHE BAKER

An Invercargill man who saved his son's life in a house fire on Saturday night said thieves later pilfered the charred remains of his home, stealing his few remaining possessions.

Aaron Barrett said at 8.30pm he and his girlfriend Candice Wilson heard a loud popping noise in the lounge of his rented Eye St home, where his two-year-old son Coihan was watching television.

The lights went out and the lounge door slammed so Mr Barrett sprinted into the lounge and found his son standing in the middle of the floor screaming and surrounded by flames.

Mr Barrett grabbed his son – "I can't get over how he is still alive"– and gave him to his girlfriend so they could run outside tosafety.

Mr Barrett then ran to the linen cupboard to get his kittens, saying later he knew it was a silly thing to do.

"By the time I got out of the house the lounge was gone and the fire was spreading."

All three were later taken to Southland Hospital and treated for smoke inhalation.

He had no home contents insurance and his life's possessions, including television sets, DVD players, stereos, cellphones and collectable toys had been destroyed. His son's toys were also destroyed.

"I have got nothing left apart from a pile of clothes – but I have got my boy and that's the main thing," an emotional Mr Barrett said.

His father visited the property in the early hours of yesterday morning and found strangers going through the house with bags on their backs.

"It's sick; why would you do that to someone? I lost nearly everything and they go through and they take what's left," Mr Barrett said.

Neighbour Steven Bertie, who called 111 and ran to the aid of Mr Barrett when the fire started, said it was "crazy" how fast the house had gone up in flames. The heat was intense and windows were exploding, he said.

Another neighbour, Brittany Lewis, 11, said dozens of people were lining the street watching the blaze.

Invercargill senior fire station officer Graeme Gilroy said when firefighters arrived, large flames were threatening houses on both sides.

After firefighters ensured the neighbouring homes were safe and the fire was put out they entered the gutted house wearing breathing apparatus and retrieved three LPG cylinders from inside.

Southern fire safety officer Stuart Ide said it appeared the fire had started because of a fault in an electrical outlet switch in the lounge.

Mr Barrett had risked his life by going back into the burning house to save his kittens, which was foolish, Mr Ide said.

The Eye St fire was not the only serious house fire in the south at the weekend.

Aaron Leslie, of Millers Flat, lost all his possession after a suspicious fire destroyed his home in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The Central Otago deer farmer was driving to his house on the Roxburgh-Fruitlands road on State Highway 8, 12km from Alexandra, when he noticed "large, high flames" coming from the building.

He ran to the front door and called his two cats. Because he had no cellphone coverage he then drove to his neighbour's house 500m away to get help.

When he arrived back with his neighbours he crawled into the lounge of his house and grabbed his laptop.

"I couldn't see and I didn't take a breath," he said.

He didn't return again inside the house after that.

One his cats was trapped inside and died.

Two fire engines from Alexandra and a rural fire tanker spent 10 hours at the fire.

Mr Ide said samples had been taken from the house by specialist fire investigators and the case was now a matter for police.

- © Fairfax NZ News