Tragic house fire kills 15yo girl
Jun 15, 2010
A SERIES of tragic circumstances led to Nikki Streek, 15, sleeping in a West Street home when a fire broke out and claimed her life on Saturday.
Former boyfriend Chris Mundt, 18, yesterday told The Chronicle Nikki had been living in foster care before she moved in with his family at Harristown in February after they started dating in January.
Mr Mundt said after a five-month relationship they regrettably broke-up two weeks ago and Nikki moved out of his family home.
She briefly lived with a grandmother before staying with one of her friends until they had a disagreement on Friday night.
With nowhere to go, Nikki visited ex-boyfriend Jaydon Tigges, 16, at his family’s home in West Street, South Toowoomba, on Friday night.
Heidi Tigges, 33, was home with five of her seven children, and her boyfriend Jason Kenneally, 35, when a fire broke out about 6.35am on Saturday.
It is believed a young child playing with a lighter started the fire.
The blaze quickly ripped through the home and, during the confusion, Nikki became disorientated and ran into the bedroom where the fire started.
Ms Tigges, Mr Kenneally, and the five children escaped the fire.
Mr Kenneally and Jaydon ran back into the burning home and later tried to smash an external bedroom window to free Nikki who was trapped inside the inferno.
The pair suffered critical airway burns, but were not able to save Nikki.
Firefighters found her body 15 minutes after they arrived at 6.42am.
Mr Mundt said he had just spoken with Nikki on the Friday night and they had arranged to meet on Sunday to “talk things through” and rekindle their relationship.
“Me and my dad were driving along Drayton Road where I spotted all the firefighters outside the (Tigges’) home at 10am,” he said.
“As we were driving past, I heard on the news that a teenage girl had died in the fire and I said, ‘Imagine if Nikki was still hanging out there, it could have been her’.
“I got a phone call two hours later and found out it was her.”
Nikki worked for Treg Smith’s Autos in Dent Street as an administration officer.
Mr Mundt said Nikki’s father died when she was nine and her mother lived at Bribie Island.
She would have turned 16 in November.
“She was a very loving, caring person who was very outgoing,” Mr Mundt said.
“She talked to me all the time about getting married and having children.
“I loved her.”
The Tigges family rented the West Street home and did not have contents insurance. They lost everything in the fire.
Ms Tigges was able to save the cremated ashes of her five-month-old baby who died a few years ago.
Members of the community have pitched in to help replace some of her and her seven children’s possessions.
Mr Kenneally and his son Jaydon were discharged from the Toowoomba Hospital yesterday morning.
Nikki’s friends have set up tribute pages on Facebook.
Source: Finda Sunshine Coast