Public rally to aid of fire victims
A Southland family have been overwhelmed by the generosity of the nationwide farming community after their home was destroyed by fire four days before Christmas.
Sharemilkers Nina and Lindsay Maxwell, who have two young children, had lived in the sharemilkers homestead on the farm they work on near Wyndham for five years.
The four-bedroom home contained the family’s belongings, Christmas presents and personal items when it was razed.
No family members were home at the time.
Nina first saw the blaze when driving home from the farm, and rushed inside to try to save the family cat and belongings.
The thick smoke forced her outside, with the cat perishing and only a bar stool and two chairs retrieved.
A farm worker, Cameron Wilson, managed to save the family car and the children’s motorbike from the garage, which was also destroyed.
The family were left reeling from the blaze, but word spread quickly on social media and within 48 hours the New Zealand rural community had rallied to their aid, she said. About $8000 in cash and vouchers was donated by businesses, community groups and individuals, as were Christmas presents, food, clothing and more.
They received so much they were now planning to give some of the donated items to Women’s Refuge.
‘‘It’s amazing what people have given but it’s our time to give back because we don’t need that much stuff,’’ Nina said. The couple had house contents insurance, which was expected to take weeks to come through, but it was the irreplaceable items they would most miss; Nina’s wedding dress, calf club ribbons from her childhood, school photos, and a bassinet that had been in the family for three generations and used by 17 children. ‘‘The list goes on’’.
The family has been staying in a single-man’s quarters for the past week but on Thursday were moving to bigger quarters on the farm.
A fire investigator told the family the blaze started from an electrical fault in the ceiling.
The family had been through a rollercoaster of emotions in the past week, from losing everything to feeling the public pull behind them.