Child Screams for Uncle Who Rushed Back into Fatal New Plymouth House Fire for Ute Keys

A harrowing moment unfolded in New Plymouth last night when a child, severely burned, screamed for his uncle who had rushed back into a raging house fire to retrieve the keys to his ute. The incident, witnessed by a neighbor, has left the community in shock and mourning.

The neighbor, who wishes to remain anonymous, described the scene as one she will never forget. “That boy. I’ll never forget that boy’s screams for his uncle. Poor baby,” she told a local media outlet. She recounted how the fire broke out around 11pm in a home on Oranga St, engulfing the property in flames within minutes.

She explained that she first heard a “crackle” sound, which alerted her to the fire. When she looked out her window, the entire street was “lit up” in flames. “That whole back [of the house] just blew out, and the front blew out when we were on our way down to make sure everyone was alright,” she said.

When she arrived at the scene, she found the child at the front of the property, in shock and in a state of severe distress. “He was in shock...He’s blessed to be alive that boy,” she said, hugging the child as he cried for his uncle.

According to the neighbor, the man who lived in the house had escaped with the child but then returned to retrieve the keys to his ute. “But he never came back out,” she said. “There was no way he was getting out of that.”

Another neighbor, who also witnessed the fire, said her sons woke her up around 11pm, fearing the house next door was “being shot up.” “There were loud popping noises… they did sound like gunshots,” she said. When she looked out her window, the home was “fully engulfed in flames.”

Fire and Emergency shift manager Belinda Beets confirmed that crews were called to the scene just before 11pm last night. The home was already well alight when they arrived, and three fire engines were dispatched, along with two support vehicles. She said that while everyone had now been accounted for, the situation was complicated by people repeatedly returning to the house.

A police spokesperson said they would be examining the scene this morning alongside Fire and Emergency. A spokesperson from Hato Hone St John confirmed that one person was taken to Taranaki Base Hospital in serious condition.

The tragedy has left the community reeling, with many expressing their condolences for the family affected. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of fire and the importance of fire safety measures in homes.

As the investigation continues, the community is left grappling with the loss of a loved one and the miraculous survival of the child, who is now in hospital with burns. The fire has become a painful chapter in the lives of those who lived in the home, and a haunting memory for those who witnessed it.