Autopsy Confirms Tragic Fate of Three Young Lives as Community Grapples with Unimaginable Loss – Details Emerge on the Fire’s Cause and Father’s Desperation

SANSON, NEW ZEALAND – November 21, 2025 – “The children did nothing wrong,” Detective Senior Sergeant Chris Lafferty said, his voice heavy with the weight of a community’s shattered trust. In a press conference that left Sanson residents in collective tears, police have finally explained the heartbreaking circumstances that led to the November 8 house fire claiming the lives of Mia (8), Harper (5), and Finn (3) Field. As the family regains possession of their Taonui Road home – now a hollow shell of memories – grief hangs heavy in every room, and neighbors struggle to grasp the unimaginable loss that has forever scarred the tight-knit Manawatū town of 1,200 souls.

The autopsy reports, released Wednesday after a coroner’s review, confirmed the children died from smoke inhalation and thermal injuries in the blaze that started around 2 a.m. Mia and Harper were found in an upstairs bedroom, clutching each other, while Finn was discovered in the hallway, his small hand outstretched toward the stairs. Mark Field, 38, the father, escaped with second-degree burns to 40% of his body but couldn’t reach them through the inferno. “He tried everything,” Lafferty said. “Broke windows, kicked doors – but the smoke was too thick, the heat too intense.” Toxicology cleared Mark of impairment, but police revealed the fire’s cause: a deliberate act born of desperation.

Mark, a mechanic struggling with depression after losing his job at a local garage in September, had doused the garage in petrol amid a mental health crisis exacerbated by financial ruin and isolation. “He was overwhelmed,” a family friend told Stuff.co.nz. “Debts piling up, Chelsey away at that conference – he snapped.” Chelsey Field, 35, the children’s mother and a primary school teacher, was in Wellington when the call came. “My babies did nothing wrong,” she said in a statement read by relative Sarah Wilkins. “Mark loved them more than life. This was illness, not intent.”

The tragedy has exposed Sanson’s hidden struggles. Rural mental health services are stretched thin, with wait times for counselors exceeding six months. Mark, who survived but remains sedated in Palmerston North Hospital, had sought help weeks earlier but was turned away due to “no immediate risk.” “We failed him – and those beautiful kids,” Wilkins said at a vigil attended by 800 residents. The town, known for its community fairs and quiet streets, has transformed grief into action: a “Field Family Light Fund” has raised NZ$180,000 for child safety alarms and mental health outreach.

Saturday’s funeral at Sanson War Memorial Hall will honor Chelsey’s wish: lanterns released at dusk to “turn tragedy into light.” Readings from the children’s favorite books, a choir singing “You Are My Sunshine,” and a procession from the fire site will draw thousands. Donations continue to flow, with celebrities like Taika Waititi contributing NZ$10,000.

As Mark faces charges of arson and manslaughter – decisions pending his recovery – Sanson reflects. “We saw the signs but didn’t act,” Mayor Annette Money said. The Fields’ home, now secured for evidence, will be demolished; a memorial garden planned in its place. Chelsey, expecting her first child in spring, vows to advocate: “For Mia, Harper, Finn – no family left in the dark.”

In a town where loss feels personal, one truth endures: the children’s light, though extinguished, will guide Sanson forward. They did nothing wrong – but their legacy will burn bright.