Family members of a person injured in this morning’s fatal house fire have gathered outside the property in Auckland’s Hillpark.
Police, paramedics and fire crews remain on the scene at Freshney Place, near Manurewa, after being called around 7am.
Two people lost their lives while a third was seriously hurt. He was rushed to Middlemore Hospital.
Pana Rangitaawa and his wife Missy told 1News they were at the house just last night and said “everything was fine”.
“We got a phone call around about 7am this morning to say the house was on fire,” he said.
Police, paramedics and fire crews are on the scene at Freshney Place in Hillpark, Auckland.
Rangitaawa said five people usually lived at the property he owned, including his mother and 91-year-old grandmother.
“We didn’t know where they were if they were home or not. But [it] turns out they weren’t here, they were staying at my sister’s place in Pukekohe.”
Holding back tears, Rangitaawa said one of his sons and two of his friends were staying in the house last night.
“I don’t know what to say to their families, [we’re] just waiting for other family to arrive.
“[I] just don’t know what to say.”
When asked if his own son was OK, he replied he was: “Just waiting.”
Missy said she had just come from seeing their son in the hospital.
“He’s had severe burns. We were just talking with the plastic surgeons before we came [here].”
She said he was awake and aware of what had happened to his friends.
“But in terms of his injuries, we don’t know the full extent until the surgeons have done what they need to do.”
Passerby leaps into action
Jonathan Asafo, who was driving past while dropping his three-year-old at daycare, initially tried to draw attention to the fire by beeping his horn before getting out and with the help of a neighbour, going around the burning house.
“Because there was a truck parked in the driveway, and the flames were coming toward the truck, I alerted the neighbours to evacuate. A lady and four kids came out,” he said.
![Jonathan Asafo](https://tvnz-1-news-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/jonathan-asafo-27OUTD3VMZFLLIFPFRAM46TFII.jpg?auth=5962abcdc7e91f414a01f4c47dc55adb7a52d865f8a9d5602888b4b346b8ba3b&quality=70&width=767&height=431&focal=960%2C540)
“Then I ran back around the house to see if there was anyone alive or anything, or any response like that. Nothing.
“By the time I got around to the back, that’s when I saw the survivor come out on the far side of the house. I ran back to the front, helped him out to the front. He said he heard the horn, it was the tooting of the horn that managed to get him out,” Asafo said.
“But he was so shook and shocked about his two friends that were still inside the house upstairs and obviously didn’t make it.”
Pana and Missy’s son survived the Hillpark blaze but two of his friends lost their lives.
He said the loss of two lives was devastating.
“You know, despite people saying I was being a hero, or whatnot, to me you know anyone could have done it and it’s more sad than anything else that we couldn’t save the two lives that were in there. But getting one out was better than losing three, I guess.”