When Nilam reflects on the kitchen fire at her Lower Hutt home in the autumn of 2023, she is grateful it was confined to one room and no one was hurt. She’s also appreciative of how quickly our staff leapt into action, organising cleaning within days after the fire, and then replacing damaged cupboards, benchtop, microwave, stove and curtains.
Nilam, an administration services coordinator, has lived in her home for 21 years, raising her two children there and now sharing it with her son, two grandchildren and one great grandchild.
On the night of the fire, Nilam, a long term customer of AMI, had dozed off in front of the television in the living room. In the kitchen at the other end of the house, her 34-year-old son had cooked sausages and, after eating, returned to find he’d left the frying pan on and fat had ignited. The fire was extinguished, but not before it damaged the benchtop and cupboards above the stove and licked at the kitchen curtains. Black smoke lingered and soot coated the surfaces.
“The first I knew about it was when he came to tell me what had happened,” says Nilam, recalling rushing to the kitchen and being shocked by how much damage occurred in such little time. “There was smoke everywhere… but it could have been so much worse.”
Naturally, Nilam was panicked and upset, especially when no amount of scrubbing could get rid of the soot and the smell. She called us the following morning, photographs of the damage were taken and a claim was submitted. Professionals were immediately dispatched to do the cleaning and ensure smoke fumes were dealt with.
Nilam’s claim was settled quickly , meaning the family already has a new bench, cupboards and stove.
“It really eased my mind,” says Nilam of our prompt and sympathetic service. “It was like having a great weight on my shoulders and it was just lifted off. The claims staff were really amazing. I was kept constantly updated and felt things were being taken care of.”
