New home for fire family
Fleeing a house fire wasn’t the best way to meet his neighbours but Ely Abundo says his family have made ‘‘friends for life’’ with the ‘‘heroes’’ who saved them.
Abundo said he, his wife, Rosalina, and their seven children had been overwhelmed by the kindness and community spirit shown to them since a fire partially destroyed their Christchurch home.
He said Fiona McDonald and her husband, Danny Noonan, were ‘‘friends for life’’ after they raised the alarm and heroically helped get the nine members of the Abundo family to safety.
Noonan, who is battling a rare form of cancer, saved 11 people and two cats from the suspicious fire that burned two properties in Macauley St, Addington, about 2am Saturday morning.
McDonald and Noonan had then taken the family into their own home.
The family had since moved into a new rental property in Addington and were ’’smiling again’’.
’’We are settling in to our new place and the children like it,’’ Abundo said.
McDonald arrived at their new home on Tuesday with a homemade carrot cake sent to the family by a stranger in Invercargill.
‘‘People have been so kind,’’ Abundo said. ‘‘Our neighbours Danny and Fiona, the children’s classmates, friends, the parish, strangers, have all helped us. We have been given vouchers for activities like bowling with the children to help take their minds off everything. The Salvation Army gave us a discount when we bought furniture and beds.’’
Noonan spent his day off work on Monday talking to an insurance assessor on Abundo’s behalf while McDonald sourced the family bedding for their new home.
‘‘My English is … I hope I do not use the wrong word – awesome … people have been awesome,’’ Abundo said.
Fire investigator Mark Thomas said the fire was not accidental and was being treated as suspicious.