Man who died in fire at Ōtāhuhu boarding house was a 'kind and gentle' soul

Saturday, 22 June 2019

A fire broke out at Wembley boarding house in Ōtāhuhu on Friday evening.

The elderly man who died in a boarding house fire has been remembered as a 'kind and caring' person.

Emergency services were called to the fire on the second level of the Wembley private hotel, a three-storey building on Moa St in Ōtāhuhu in south Auckland just before 6pm on Friday.

A man, known to neighbours as Henry, lost his life in the blaze.

A man many in the neighbourhood knew simply as 'Henry' was found dead.

Samia Khan, whose family own the dairy below the house, said Henry was a long-time regular customer.

The owner of a nearby dairy said Henry would often sit on the chair outside his shop and chat to people.

'He was a very kind and caring type of person who always put others before himself,' Khan said.

The landlord of Wembley Private Hotel said he did not know how the fire had started.

Khan wasn't sure of Henry's full name or age but said he looked to be in his 60s.

Anwar Khan said Henry was a regular sight on the street.

Twenty five residents were staying at the house at the time of the fire.

'He said he was French, but that could have been him joking with me.

'Often he would sit in the chair out the front of my shop and we would talk - it's sad he won't do that anymore.'

He said he had known Henry for many years.

'He said he had been struggling with cancer for a while, but he was always happy and nice to talk to.'

The landlord of the Wembley private hotel said he did not know what had happened or how the fire had started.

'Henry had lived there for a while, he was a very kind man,' he said.

Twenty five residents were staying at the house at the time of the fire.

The boarding house was comprised a mix of one and two-bedroom units, rented out at between $140 and $240 a week.

Police said on Friday night the fire was being treated as unexplained at this stage.