Feilding fire victim rapper’s mum
The woman who died in a house fire in Feilding is understood to be a respected school counsellor and the mother of rapper PNC.
The Coroner’s office has confirmed it is investigating the death of Kathy Hansen whose Fitzroy St home was destroyed by fire on Wednesday night.
Six fire trucks and 30 firefighters were called in to battle the blaze about 8pm but were unable to enter the house due to the intensity of the flames.
Hansen worked as a counsellor at Queen Elizabeth College but was perhaps best known for being the mother of award-winning rapper Sam Hansen, who performs under the moniker PNC.
Queen Elizabeth College principal Mike Houghton sent out a letter to the college community stating that it understood Kathy Hansen died in a house fire on August 24.
The letter stated the school was awaiting formal confirmation while investigations by police and fire services were completed. In it, Hansen was described as a valued colleague and member of the college community who would be missed.
The fire is not being treated as suspicious.
Attempts to contact the Auckland-based rapper and his management were unsuccessful. He had cancelled an appearance at a show in Christchurch on the weekend.
His replacement for the show posted on Facebook that PNC could no longer attend due to ‘‘the passing of a family member’’.
PNC dedicated a song to his mother on his latest recording, The Luke Valima EP, which was released at the end of July.
In a recent interview with Stuff, Hansen said his mother was one of the people he most admired in the world. He said he always appreciated her honesty.
‘‘She’ll always tell anyone her opinion, and she cares deeply about social justice and other people’s lives. She works as a school guidance counsellor, and is completely passionate and transparent on her thoughts about all the things she thinks are important in life.
‘‘She taught me that, and I try to implement that in my own life.’’
In a previous interview with the Manawatu Standard, Kathy Hansen said she was proud of her son’s achievements. She spoke to a reporter from inside her work office, which was covered in photos of her son.
‘‘He doesn’t like being treated like a star, really, he finds it slightly embarrassing. He’s not into that thing at all, so I think he’s got his head together when it comes to that sort of stuff, ‘‘ she said.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.