Community reeling after house fire kills two in Auckland's Coatesville

May 25, 2021

Coatesville Motors’ Andrew Krinkel says the two people found dead in the fire will be sorely missed.

The tight-knit community of Coatesville in Auckland’s north is reeling today after two people, well-known in the area, were found dead in a house fire this morning.

Emergency services were called to the house on Mahoenui Valley Road at about 6.30am. Police found two bodies inside the house.

1 NEWS understands a father and his son lived on the rural property. It’s understood the son attended a local school.

A third person received minor injuries in the fire.

Andrew Krinkel of Coatesville Motors said a steady stream of people have come to talk to him today, all upset and shocked at the news.

The news has left the close-knit community in shock.

“A lot of people are quite shocked and wondering whether it’s real or not,” he told 1 NEWS.

“It’s not a great day for Coatesville. The more people realise who he actually was … they’ll soon realise they’ve lost someone who did a lot to the community.”

He added: “He’s going to be really missed.

“You always hear people say good things about him … you had good vibes from what people were saying about him, because he would help anyone do anything.”

Krinkel said the man who lived on the property loved his son a lot, and would do anything for him. 

“I feel terrible for the mum,” he said.

“You just don’t think something like this would happen at home, so close to home.”

Fire and Emergency New Zealand Waitematā area commander Murray Binning said the fire itself was “relatively small”.

“A lot of smoke has been emitted in the dwelling. The fire crews were quickly able to quell the fire but, nevertheless, the fire is with fatal consequences,” Binning said. 

Emergency responders were called to the Coatesville home early this morning.

He said police and fire crews continued to investigate the cause of the fire, and he couldn’t yet provide details about how it may have started. 

Binning confirmed the fire was in a self-contained dwelling, a small cottage, at the back of the property.

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