Pam Jemmett, a Saddle Hill Community Board member, said she was working at the University of Otago when her son, in Wellington, called to ask if she was aware of the news.
Saddle Hill was burning, and the fire had leapt across the Southern Motorway. It seemed to be worryingly close to the family home.
When Mrs Jemmett had a look at the news and pictures, she saw he was right. She dropped what she was doing and hurried home.
But she didn't make it.
By the time she reached Fairfield, the rest of the route home - where her husband was waiting - was closed.
Shortly after that, about 4pm, her husband was told to evacuate.
That was something they'd never had to face before, she said.
"It's pretty horrible. I mean, we've got a cat, a wee kitten, and she didn't want to be caught.''
Her husband had told her that while he was leaving wind-borne embers had fluttered down and landed across the road from their home, setting dry grass on fire.
He had no time to save anything more than the 11-month old kitten, ironically named Cinder.
They could bring nothing else.
Their home was bordered by grass on two sides and bush on a third. That was a backdrop Mrs Jemmett said she'd never considered to be sinister.
"It's become sinister now.''
In her role as a community board member Mrs Jemmett was last night helping direct traffic and give information to locals, and had opened the Fairfield Community Hall for evacuated residents to use as a base.
Mrs Jemmett said last night her house was not damaged by the fire, although power was still out at 8pm.
An evacuated family with a small child had used the hall, as their home was without power.
An Aurora spokesman said seven homes in Chain Hills Rd remained without power last night.
