Family friends of a couple who "lost everything in a matter of minutes" after a fire tore through Christchurch farmland in Rolleston on Saturday are raising funds to get the couple back on their feet.
Daryl and Salve Cross lost their home, vehicle and workshop in the blaze that ignited around 3pm, quickly spreading due to blustery winds and tinder dry conditions.
Their workshop contained "a large collection of valuable engineering equipment accumulated over a lifetime" the Give a Little Page created by Marry Berryman states.
"The couple have been left with nothing but the clothes on their back.
"As family friends, we cannot imagine how heartbreaking it would be to not only lose all of your possessions, but also a lifetime of memories. Please consider giving a little to this hard-working couple this Christmas."
Since the page was created, over $400 has been raised for the couple.
From another fire-damaged home, Paul and Fiona Ensor were trying to salvage their parent's belongings yesterday after the fire also ripped through the retired couples home they had lived in for eight years.
"They have had to deal with a few set backs in life and unfortunately it's just turned into one of them," Fiona Ensor told 1 NEWS.
"It's been nailed by the fire. It's just bloody bad luck.
"We hope that we can find a couple of things. They literally have the clothes on their back, they saved... Christmas presents.
"Generations of precious furniture and jewelery, all that's gone and paintings that were really precious to my parents."
Ms Ensor's children were at her parent's house yesterday when the fire started and quickly left the house when the fire started to spread.
"Dad went down to have a look and had told Mum to start getting ready to go...he just said 'we have got to get out of here now'."
"It was nothing but smoke. They were lucky to get out because this whole hedge just exploded basically."
Paul told 1 NEWS the fire jumped 150 metres to his parent's property, skipping "a couple of houses along the way.
Investigators looking into how the blaze began in the neighbouring paddock are talking to the land owners.
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