Offers of help are flooding in for two families left homeless by a fire in Queenstown on Sunday.
Two adjoining rental units in the suburb of Fernhill were destroyed in the blaze, which took hold after wind blew hot ashes out of an uncovered metal bucket on the deck of one of the homes.
The tenants - a couple and their 4-year-old son in one unit and a mother and 5-year-old daughter in the other - lost everything.
Salvation Army captain Karen Baker said it was working with lead agency Jigsaw Central Lakes and Victim Support to co-ordinate the many offers of support.
''The community has rallied around the families, and it's been around the local Facebook world.
''We've had a lot of people phone and say `what can we do?'.''
The Salvation Army was taking people's details and would call them back when the families' needs became clearer.
''It will probably be in another week or two, when they will need support to re-establish themselves.''
Donations in cash or by electronic transfer could be made at its Camp St store.
Japanese Family Society of Queenstown committee member Kumiko Leyden said an emailed plea to members to help the family of one of the victims, a Japanese woman, had produced an immediate response, with offers of accommodation, household goods, meals and clothing.
''A lot of people have been very generous.''
After spending the past few days in a state of shock, the family was beginning to reorganise, and would share the offers of help with the other family affected, Ms Leyden said.
The society had set up a bank account to accept donations, and a collection box had been set up at the Sushi Box in Beach St.
Offers of clothing and household goods have also been pouring in to the Queenstown Trading Facebook page.
