A Dunedin man who let his insurance lapse just weeks before a fire ravaged his home is getting a little help from his neighbours, who have started a fundraising drive to help him get him back on his feet.
According to RNZ, Dunedin resident Trevor Diehl was asleep in his home in early January when he heard the loud bang of a gas cylinder exploding. Firefighters arrived in time to put out the flames before it engulfed the home, but not before the fire caused extensive damage to the cladding, wiring, and plumbing.
Read more: Limited insurance adds grief to owners of iconic home gutted by fire
Adding insult to injury, the fire happened just weeks after Diehl let his insurance lapse to buy Christmas gifts. "Stupidest decision I ever made," Diehl told RNZ.
Diehl recently moved back to his fire-damaged home after neighbours gave him a temporary place to stay – and now the community is determined to do more. One neighbour, Cindy King, told RNZ that she is willing to help because “he can’t live like this.”
''We're really just trying to put together a plan forward for him... there's a lot of support and people have come forward with good offers. It's being able to pull it all together.''
Meanwhile, Ministry of Social Development southern regional director Steph Voight told RNZ that it had provided Diehl with a cellphone in January and discussed emergency housing with him last week. She also said that he was entitled to up to $1,000 to replace essential items lost in a fire.”
"We are meeting Trevor again this week to see if there is more we can do for him," Voight told RNZ.
