An uninsured house that was undergoing renovations caught fire in the early hours of Tuesday, leaving its occupants distraught after having “lost everything” in the blaze.

The incident shows the need for greater awareness of fire safety and property insurance to protect homeowners and their families.

According to a report by Stuff, the fire that razed the single-storey, 100sqm house on Waitekauri Road in Waikino began at around 1:30am on Tuesday. Fire investigator Nicole Dobson said that there were likely no working fire alarms inside the property due to the ongoing renovations.

The homeowner, Dobson said, had been working on renovations on the house for the past few years and was “understandably devastated” with the loss. The house was uninsured, meaning the homeowner must start from scratch. The home’s occupants are currently staying with relatives.

Everyone in the house got out safe, according to Dobson, as they were awake at the time. However, it may have been a different and more tragic story had they been asleep.

Investigations have revealed that a towel that was hung too close to an electric heater was what started the fire. Dobson stressed the importance of fire safety – such as having functional smoke alarms and keeping flammable materials away from heaters – as well as insurance to compensate homeowners from the loss of their property.