Owner John Kerr takes a closer look at the scorched remains
of his home's contents in January 2010. Photos by Lynda van
Kempen.
Helicopter pilots came to the rescue of Roxburgh
residents 15 months ago when the town was threatened by a
massive scrub fire and now the couple whose home was at the
centre of the inferno want to return the favour.
To raise funds for rescue helicopter services, Roxburgh
couple John and Pat Kerr are holding an open day tomorrow at
the home they built to replace the one destroyed by the New
Year's Day 2010 fire.
"There's been so much interest in our new home so we thought
we'd open it up to the public and raise some money at the
same time for a good cause, " Mrs Kerr said.
"We wanted to recognise the work done by the helicopter
pilots during that fire - they really did save the town - so
this is our way, and the town's way, of saying thank you for
the work they did then and continue to do."
The fire, started by sparking power lines, quickly spread to
cover 40ha, fanned by 110kmh winds.
John and Pat Kerr shifted into their new Roxburgh home at
the start of this year - a year after their previous home
was razed by fire. They are holding an open afternoon at
their home tomorrow to raise funds for rescue helicopter
services, in appreciation for the firefighting work done by
helicopter pilots during the New Year's Day 2010 fire.
A team of 60 firefighters and a fleet of seven
helicopters fought the blaze and, although many homes were
threatened, the Kerrs' home was the only one destroyed.
The couple shifted into their new home at the start of this
year, built on the same site as the old one, overlooking the
town.
The Branxholm St home will be open to the public from 1pm to
5pm tomorrow, with an entry fee of $10. All the proceeds will
go to rescue helicopter services.
Branxholm St was too narrow to accommodate much traffic, so
in the interests of safety a shuttle service would operate
from Ednam St, Mrs Kerr said.
lynda.van.kempen@odt.co.nz
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