
- A fire gutted a home in leaving paraplegic Chloe Wigg and her father with nothing.
- Wigg鈥檚 father jumped out a window with their dog and was .
- 鈥楢ll of my stuff that I used to get around and have a shower 鈥 I鈥檝e lost all of that,鈥 she says.
Fire has gutted the West Auckland home of a woman who is a paraplegic - leaving her and her father with nothing but the clothes on their backs.
Chloe Wigg, 33, said her dad, Kevin, 69, was forced to jump out the window as all the equipment that helped her live a comfortable life was destroyed.
Photos at the scene in Raynell Drive in Massey show large orange flames and smoke billowing from the property.
Wigg was paralysed from the waist down in a car accident nine years ago and has lived with her father in the K膩inga Ora house for six years.
She said she staying with a friend last night when the fire broke out.
Chloe Wigg with her dad. They say they have been left with nothing after a fire gutted their home last night.
鈥淢y dad was in bed asleep, and he just woke up to the fire alarm going off, the smoke alarm.鈥
Wigg said her dad ran to go find their dog but found a wall of flames instead.
He hurriedly grabbed their pet and jumped out the window wearing nothing but his underwear. He was later taken to hospital for smoke inhalation but is expected to make a full recovery.
She got the call at 1.30am from a police officer who said although her dad and dog were safe, everything else was gone.
鈥淪o all of my stuff that I used to get around and have a shower 鈥 I鈥檝e lost all of that.鈥
Wigg said she had waited for five years while ACC completed various renovations around the home like installing ramps and modifying the shower: 鈥淚t鈥檚 just all gone.鈥
She had not been to her home this morning out of fear of what she might see.
鈥淚鈥檓 so numb to it all right now 鈥 I don鈥檛 want it to feel real.鈥
Wigg said all they have left are the clothes on their backs and her phone.
A close friend, who lost her own home in a fire seven years ago,
A said they arrived at the scene about 1am.
He said when they arrived at the scene the fire was already 鈥渨ell-involved鈥.
He said at its peak, Fire and Emergency sent four fire trucks to the scene from three different stations.
After battling the blaze, it was contained around 1.30am. Crews had left the scene by 4am.
The spokesman said the fire was not being treated as suspicious at this stage.
Rachel Maher is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. She has worked for the Herald since 2022.
Take your Radio, Podcasts and Music with you
Get the iHeart App
Get more of the radio, music and podcasts you love with the FREE iHeartRadio app. Scan the QR code to download now.
Download from the app stores
Stream unlimited music, thousands of radio stations and podcasts all in one app. iHeartRadio is easy to use and all FREE