LEAD STORY: Burglars rip off family hammered by house fire

Kate Newton | 8th February 2010

There wasn't a lot that could be saved when flames took hold of a Hastings home last week, but what Melissa Watts and her two children were able to salvage has been cruelly stolen in a burglary.

Ms Watts, a sign writer, and her children Sean, 15, and Alice, 8, weren't home when their house was gutted by fire on Wednesday and had since moved into a local motel.

"We lost pretty much everything," Ms Watts said. "It gutted the house within 10 minutes.

"We've been trying to salvage what we can, mainly toys that were low down.

"Anything that was high has gone."

The fire was believed to have been caused by the roller pantry door falling on the toaster's lever and holding it down. "It's one of those freak things," Ms Watts said.

What could be salvaged had been stored in the garage, until they went to see their home on Friday and found the garage door open.

"They took the kids' bikes, my weed eater.

"I don't know what else had been salvaged so I don't know what else they took."

It had been a horror few months for Ms Watts who lost her mum at Christmas and her cat, Barney, in the fire.

"He is the biggest tragedy of all this. My kids have had him all their lives.

Their kitten, Izzy, had also not been seen since the fire. "It hasn't been very nice."

The family had insurance and would get through with the support of "a lot of good friends".