00:02A family home gutted, loved ones distraught.
00:07I should have died with my wife, and what am I going to do for my kids?
00:12It's all that's going through my head.
00:15Ari Laver's wife, Leanne, who was battling stage 4 lymphoma,
00:19and friend, Philip Gordon, perished in the Kingston blaze.
00:23I thought I could stop it. I thought I had a chance.
00:26There were no flames in the house. I didn't realise it was all underneath the house.
00:29Just moments before, he heard a loud thud.
00:32I ran out and I yelled, what's going on?
00:35And they said something, she yelled out, something's on fire.
00:37He went to get a hose and ran into a thick wall of smoke,
00:41yelling at his family to evacuate.
00:43He escaped with his son, daughter and border,
00:47but then realised his wife had not made it out, and it was too late.
00:52She was faithful beyond the extreme in every way that mattered.
00:57Mr Laver's also mourning a long friendship with Mr Gordon.
01:02I've known Philip since I was 17. I called him my brother in every way.
01:06The Lavers had lived here for 35 years and were not insured.
01:10While authorities investigate what started the fire,
01:14Mr Laver says his concern is finding a home for his family.
01:18Tragically, we do have too many house fires, particularly in winter,
01:22and we should be doing everything we can to support those families.
01:25I can keep a roof over our head and keep us fed for a couple of weeks,
01:29but honestly, I don't know where I'm going to go or what I'm going to do.
01:32I'm not whining.
01:32I'm not happy with me.
01:32I'm happy with you.
01:34I'm happy with you.
01:34You
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