'Bloody brilliant' response after fire

The new Brockville home of Shanae Wallace,  Lochlan  (3), Bevin  and David Yurjevic (6). Photo by...
The new Brockville home of Shanae Wallace, Lochlan (3), Bevin and David Yurjevic (6). Photo by Christine O'Connor.

Shanae Wallace says she has never lived through anything like it.

About 3.30pm on Sunday, Ms Wallace, her cousin Talor Brown, and her son Lochlan Yurjevic were at their home, a state house in Brockville when all hell broke loose.

• School opens appeal for family 

"A fire started in the bedroom, and we tried to put it out ... [and it was] just too out-of-control,'' she said.

In the time it took for her to run back and forth to the kitchen with jugs full of water, the fire had already spread.

"The fire moved so fast, I can't believe it,'' she said.

Ms Wallace and Mr Brown quickly realised they had to flee.

Smoke was already filling up the house, "gushing past'' them as they left.

Mr Brown remembers moving quickly to try to extinguish the fire and then, when it continued to spread, making sure Ms Wallace and Lochlan got out safely.

Once they were on the footpath, he said, they called 111 and their family.

Ms Wallace's other son, David, was just a street away, at a friend's house.

From there he saw the fire.

But Ms Wallace made sure he stayed away.

"I didn't want the kids to have to see that,'' she said.

"Pretty scary for them.''

A fire investigator was at the house yesterday from 11am to 4.15pm.

Ms Wallace said her family had been living in the house for about a year and a-half. Basically everything was destroyed.

In the 24 hours since the fire, she had received an outpouring of support and donations from the Dunedin community.

She was "overwhelmed'' by the response.

"That's bloody brilliant.''

"[People have donated] everything; furniture, clothes for the kids, food - a man dropped a couch off this morning.''

She was enormously grateful for the support, "no matter what it's been''.

Later this week the family will have a new home, just a couple of blocks away.

Housing New Zealand tenancy manager Kate Milton said in a statement the agency "immediately contacted the tenant and offered her our full support and assistance'' following the fire.

"We have offered her another property and she has gladly accepted this offer.''

Ms Wallace, partner David Yurjevic, their sons, and Mr Brown visited the new house yesterday.

After poking around the outside, Lochlan decided he liked it.

After all, he said, their old house had "broke down''.

"Does the new house have smoke alarms?''

Lochlan asked, suddenly, looking up at his mother.

Yes, Ms Wallace reassured him, the new house did.

The old house had had them, too.

carla.green@odt.co.nz

Add a Comment

 

Advertisement