But last night, Anne Liardet and the rest of the family, including two children, aged 10 and 13, decided to resume their holiday, the first for two years, flying from Dunedin to Wellington.
"There's nothing left here for us. We've pretty much lost everything," Mrs Liardet said.
"The children were so looking forward to this holiday that we have decided to carry on."
The fact the family was away was a big relief to neighbours and builders working next door.
They tried to get into the house before firefighters arrived, only to be beaten back by dense, toxic smoke and heat.
"I didn't know I could feel so relieved when I heard they weren't home," neighbour and family friend Dave Robertson said.
He kicked in panels in the kitchen door but when he reached in to release the lock, it was so hot he could not hold it.
He felt helpless not knowing whether anyone was inside until, five minutes after he arrived at the house, neighbour Wayne Abernethy told him they were away on holiday.
"We've lost everything we had as a family, including family letters I had dating back to the French revolution.
But we're all safe and that is the most important thing," Mrs Liardet said.
Just as the Otago Daily Times was talking to the family, firefighters brought out a basket of family silver.
It was warm, but had not melted.
"I'm incredibly amazed anything came out," she said.
They were insured.
The family left the two-storey Kakanui home about 10am yesterday, heading to Wellington to visit friends.
Firefighters were called about 11.30am.
When they returned to Kakanui, they immediately received "six or seven" offers of temporary accommodation when they returned from holiday.
"It's a very supportive community," Mrs Liardet said about Kakanui.
Mr Robertson said his daughter told him the house was on fire.
When he looked, "a little bit" of smoke was coming out the roof.
By the time he ran down the road to the house, there was dense smoke.
"I didn't know whether anyone was inside and tried to get in through the kitchen door to check."
Visibility inside was "only a few centimetres" because of the smoke and intense heat.
"All I could do was stand and watch until the brigade arrived," Mr Robertson said.
Kakanui Fire Brigade station officer Bernie Miller said last night fire safety officers were investigating the blaze but a cause may never be established because of the extensive damage.
It was believed the fire started on the ground floor.
Units and tankers from Waitaki Rural Fire, Weston, Kakanui and Oamaru were called out from 11.38am.
