A Christchurch couple won’t realise their retirement dream anytime soon after losing their house and belongings in a massive property fire over the weekend.

Simon and Vanessa Dyer could only stand and watch their home of 25 years go up in flames, along with countless items that their contents insurance won’t nearly cover the cost of.

“My son had $10,000 worth of Lego - he had collectables and that’s quickly a chunk of our cover,” Simon Dyer told the Herald.

“I don’t know how it’s going to play out, it’s taxing. I’m 65 years old and I can’t afford to retire.”

Their nightmare began with a morning coffee on Sunday. Dyer’s wife had hopped into the shower when he heard the smoke alarm go off.

Simon and Vanessa Dyer were married at their home in Hillsborough and have a number of memories attached to the home.

Expecting burnt toast, he made his way downstairs to find flames rising from a section of the laundry.

Initially, the fire appeared to be coming from a basket, but as Dyer approached the laundry wall, he felt intense heat and realised the blaze was much larger than what he saw.

Plumes of smoke billowed from the laundry door, and Dyer concluded it was too big a fire for him to try and fight.

 “I dialled the fire guys, I probably sounded hysterical but they were very responsive,” he said.

“It didn’t take long for [Fire and Emergency New Zealand] to get there but by that point, things had exploded, it went into the kitchen and I had to get the dog out - we’re still trying to figure out what happened.”

Dyer said the fire expanded so rapidly that he was told by fire crews they were doubting their capacity to fight the flames.

The firefighters eventually won, as the Dyers stood and watched their home of many years smoulder.

Plumes of smoke billowed from the laundry door, Dyer concluded it was too big a fire for him to try and fight.

As self-employed people who work from home, the immediate problem of income springs to Dyer’s mind as he processes what the couple’s next steps are.

“It’ll be a whole new chapter in our life,” he said.

“We just wanted to retire and sit on the beach, having worked for 45 years - and we’re not in that situation. So this will knock us back - no doubt about it.”

The home itself became iconic for the neighbourhood, after withstanding both earthquakes in 2010 and 2011 as it became a safe haven for those living nearby.

Dyer said during both quakes, those living nearby all congregated at their place to take refuge, listen to the radio for announcements and process what was happening.

Simon Dyer said the fire expanded so rapidly that he was told by fire crews they were doubting their capacity to fight the flames.

“They were scared to be in their houses with the shakes going on,” he said.

“This was a place to sit and be safe, it was part of the memories of this house - what it meant for people young and old.”

Now a distant memory, the sentimental objects of their parents’ antiques and children’s old toys were damaged beyond repair in the flames.

Yet, as typical of Christchurch in times of need, the community has rallied to support the couple on their journey to rebuild their lives.

A Givealittle page, set up to acknowledge the work required to start over, has reached more than $13,000 in donations.

Clothing, shoes, furniture, appliances and temporary accommodation are the things on the couple’s mind - their son Oliver said people want to give back to a couple that “gave to others all their lives.

“We were trying to figure out whether to create a donation page, my brother said ‘no, they’ve given all their lives - now it’s their turn’.”

- Nathan Morton is a Christchurch-based reporter with a focus on South Island news. He joined the Herald in 2022.