House fire a suspected arson
A mother who escaped her burning house has described her dramatic dash to safety while flames tore through her home.
The Palmerston North family is now in shock and believed the blaze was deliberately lit, a suspicion backed up by police. Firefighters rushed to the two-storey house on Pembroke St, next to the Pembroke Reserve in Highbury, after it caught fire just before 11.40pm on Saturday. Everyone in the house managed to escape the blaze uninjured.
Phyllis Maihi and her three children were asleep when the fire started in a small shed attached to their laundry. On Sunday, she could see the previous night’s load of washing fused to the basket at the foot of a melted washing machine. The entire ground floor of their home was gutted – the blistered and peeling walls were charred down to the frame in places.
Maihi was shocked and angry as she sifted through the soot for the family’s belongings. Every crunch of glass and debris underfoot was a reminder of the night’s close call. ‘‘I think someone purposely started a fire while my kids were asleep. There’s nothing in that little shed that would start a fire that big on its own.’’
Maihi was lucky her 13-year-old son woke up in time, or it could have been a lot worse, she said. ‘‘My son got up and woke his older sister first, and straight away we were out the door.’’
Fire Service spokesman Craig Dally said the fire was well alight when firefighters arrived, but it was contained downstairs.
Dally said fire investigators returned to the scene on Sunday morning to determine what started the fire.
A police spokeswoman said officers were investigating the apparent suspicious circumstances of the blaze and were talking to potential witnesses.
One bright spot, was all of the Maihi family’s most significant possessions, including years of family photos, had made it through the fire. ‘‘A lot of it is salvageable, so that’s a good thing. It’s just a matter of cleaning up and washing it all.’’
Their home for the past nine years, on the other hand, was in worse condition. ‘‘My youngest was born in this house, but we’ll have to move now. We can’t go back. We’ll be staying with my sister and her family for a while, until the world gets back to normal.’’
The family appreciated the support of the police and fire officers involved, as well as their neighbours, who have rallied around them, Maihi said. ‘‘[It’s hard], but because of the help of everyone on this street, we’ll be alright.’’