“And I was [screaming] like oh my God, our house is on fire!
“We just all ran outside.
“And then everything just started catching on fire, like rapidly. Everything. And the windows were … smashing.
“One second it was just the couch, next second it was the whole house. It was so scary.”
Veza said she tried to call the fire department, but her phone wasn’t initially working, so they ran to the neighbours for help.
“I’m so glad we got out as fast as we could,” she said. “I’m so glad I [could] grab my baby.”
Erutoe said she was in her room when she suddenly heard Veza call out for her to “come look at this”.
“I thought it was a spider or something.”
Erutoe said she quickly realised that an extension cord in the lounge had caught fire and jumped out of her bedroom window, while Veza, with her daughter and partner, left through the front door.
“I was just thinking ‘What the f***, what the f***’ and how to get myself to safety,” Erutoe said.
Future Veza with her daughter Kazeah and her niece Soraya Erutoe in front of their burning house. Photo / John Van de Ven
While the family said they don’t know what’s next, they knew they had options and a lot of family support.
“We might end up going to our grandad’s house. Cause our house, by the looks of it, is definitely not going to be liveable,” Veza said.
She said the fire claimed everything, IDs, bank cards, food and the ashes of her beloved cat, which died last year.
Both of them are trying to remain upbeat.
“What else can I do? Be sad about it?” Erutoe said.
The family believe the house won’t be inhabitable for some time. Photo / John Van de Ven
“I’ve already accepted that all of our s*** is gone, the whole house is gone.
“There is only a few things I can control and my mood is one of them.
“The only thing you can do is be positive about it.”
Fire and Emergency New Zealand said it received multiple calls about a fire at a 10-by-12-metre dwelling at 10.51am.
“The dwelling was fully involved in fire on arrival.”
Four firetrucks from Tokoroa and Putāruru, as well as a fire investigator, attended the scene.
Danielle Zollickhofer is the Waikato news director and a multimedia journalist at the Waikato Herald. She joined NZME in 2021 and is based in Hamilton.