DONATIONS are flowing for a family who lost everything in a housefire which could be blamed on the mice plague.
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Fire investigators are looking at whether mice damaged electrical wiring in the Tingha home near Inverell, before it erupted in flames.
The Cruickshank family are counting the costs after their New Valley Road home went up in smoke on Tuesday morning.
The roof has caved in, and the verandah is all that's left amid the charred remains of the single-story home.
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New England police, together with the NSW Rural Fire Service, have been trying to pinpoint what sparked the fire, which took hold shortly before 10am on Tuesday.
Investigators have confirmed they're examining whether the region's mice plague could have seen the tiny rodents chewing through electrical wiring.
"There is the possibility of that, however the investigations are still ongoing," NSW RFS Superintendent Chris Wallbridge said.
The family weren't injured in the blaze, but now locals are rallying around them.
A GoFundMe fundraiser has been launched and has seen more than $4000 raised to help get "temporary housing, furniture [and] food".
"Every donation will make a huge difference to help getting their life back to normal," organiser Shanae Vickery said online.
"They won't be looking for much, as that's the kind of people they are, but we want to provide them with as much financial stability as we can during this difficult time, as we know that it will be a challenge for them as they start to rebuild their home."
Organisers are hoping to raise $10,000 to help the family get back on their feet.
It was the second housefire in the area this week.
A man aged in his 70s died after fire took hold of his home in Tingha on Monday morning.
Detectives are preparing the brief of evidence into the deadly fire, which will be handed to the NSW Coroner to determine what caused it.
New England police said initial investigations revealed the fire may have been sparked in a front room of the house.
Witnesses tried desperately to help the man but were forced back by the intensity of the flames.
The elderly man's body was discovered inside after the fire was extinguished.
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