Father and son lose everything in fire
A father and son have been left with only the clothes they were wearing after their house was gutted by fire yesterday morning.
Dean and Richard Barakat watched their home, along with everything they owned, being destroyed by a fire.
Firefighters were called to their home on Main St, Wairio, just before 7am.
Dean said he discovered the fire after he got up to go to the toilet about 6.30am.
He saw smoke and flames in the laundry and bathroom.
He then woke his son before they escaped the house and called firefighters.
Looking at what damage the fire had done to their house, the pair were thankful they made it out uninjured, Dean said. ‘‘We’ve lost everything. We’ve just got what we’ve got on.’’
The smoke alarm, which was in a different part of the house, was not going off at the time Dean discovered the fire. For now, the pair will have to find somewhere to stay while they wait for insurance to be sorted out.
The pair think the fire may have started in the hot water cupboard.
Richard said they had been living in the house since 2010, when they bought the home.
Firefighters had not yet determined the cause of the fire, Richard said.
A fire communications spokeswoman said crews from Ohai, Nightcaps and Otautau arrived at the Wairio house about 7am.
The fire was ‘‘well involved’’ when crews arrived, she said.
A fire investigator had not been called in at this stage.
Firefighters returned to the house just before 10am yesterday to dampen down hotspots after the fire reignited.