The last tile on Miranda and Craig Newbury's pool was only stuck on two weeks ago.
Little did the couple know that the pool would end up saving their Worsleys Rd home and probably others' when fire engulfed the area on Wednesday night.
The Christchurch couple evacuated their home on Wednesday afternoon with the fire crackling and billowing smoke on the east boundary of their home. They had to leave quickly and left behind tabby cats Stevie and Daisy, who are sisters.
The Newburys' house, surrounded by devastation in Worsleys Rd, was saved because fire crews needed the pool.
As they waited to return home on Thursday morning, they feared the worst although the house from the flat at Cashmere at least looked like it was standing.
Police ferried the couple and a neighbour to their properties on Friday morning.
"We've gone through the property. It's unscathed," Miranda Newbury said.
"The helicopters used the pool to deal with the fire. They were able to keep filling it from a fire hydrant outside the property and therefore they protected our home to protect their resource. And by default we've been the lucky recipients. It's unbelievable.
"We haven't found the cats. It's the helicopters. It's too noisy. We suspect it could be another few days before we go back in there and then they will probably come home. I've got a good feeling about it. They are pretty smart."
"The house smells incredibly smoky. But the house is there, we have got our home. We have lost the whole east and north west boundaries. We have a lot of work to do. We are going to have to re-fence and replant."
"It's terribly sad but we are hugging and celebrating. All our neighbours are talking about coming back and rebuilding. This is not going to stop us living up there."
"We were just really, really lucky," she said.
Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/89524085/