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National

Raglan Couple return to their home, reduced to ashes.

Jasmine and Aaron Kereopa received devastating news last weekend that their Raglan home had been destroyed in a fire. Today, they witnessed the aftermath, for the very first time.

While on a business trip in the United States, the couple received a call from Aaron's brother, Daniel Kereopa, who informed them of the tragic news around 2am Saturday morning, while the fire was still blazing.

Aarons initial response was to ask if their two kids (Kai, 13 and Mika, 10) and his mum, were safe.

"The most important thing is that we are alive, that we have each other, our kids and our family," says Jasmine Kereopa.

The cause of the fire is still unkown, however the fire inspector told the couple, that due to the nature of the fire, that if anyone was in the house, they wouldn't have made it.

This is news that brought Aaron to tears when he reflected on the fact that his mum took the kids to her house in town that Friday night because they had a soccer game there the next day. Only to realise that the game was cancelled and that the coach had forgotten to call, to tell her so.

"If he (soccer coach) called my mum to tell her the game was cancelled, they would have stayed that night," says Aaron Kereopa.

The Kereopa family, who own the poperty, have been residing there for eight years now, and were in the process of building an art gallery on the 2 acre lot, adjaent to the main home.

The gallery, which included three of Aarons uniquely carved and painted surfboards worth over $30,000 were just out of reach of the fire and were left unscaved.

Everything they had in the main house, including sentimental art pieces that Aaron created specifically for his family, have all been destroyed.

"Its surreal you know going from Nashville to Auckland, knowing that, we only owned what we have in our suitcase," he says

Daniel Kereopa created a givealittle page the very next day of the incident, which has raised have just over $20,000 to this day.

Although the amount doesn’t come close to replacing what they’ve lost, the couple have been overwhelmed with all the support they have received from family, and the Raglan community.

"we are gonna be giving back for the rest of our lives now after this, there is just so much kindness come out of this we dont know what to do with it. Its jsut overwhelming and humbling," says Jasmine Kereopa

For now, the family are conducting hui with immediately family members and making plans to move forward.

If you wish to support the Kereopa whānau, go here.