The family of a woman who died in a house fire in the New South Wales central west on Saturday has paid tribute to the "bright and bubbly" mother of two as the local community rallies around her husband and children.
Naomie Richings and her family were trapped inside their home in Pimpala Place, Orange, when it caught fire just before 6am.
Ms Richings was pulled from the home but could not be revived.
Her sons, aged 10 and 9, are still in hospital with minor burns, while the children's father, James Richings, is in a stable condition after suffering burns when he tried to re-enter the burning house.
David Richings said his sister-in-law Naomie was an incredible person.
"She was 100 per cent positive, " he said.
"I don't think Naomie ever had a negative thought. She was just one of those people if you ever needed a pick-me-up you could talk to her.
"She was a bright and bubbly person always spending time with the kids, making them happy, playing dress-ups and making songs. She was just always positive."
Mr Richings said the family is struggling to come to turn with their loss.
"It's heartbreaking. It is not a phone call you expect and it has shocked everybody," he said.
"The last few days it is all we have done, just pull around James and the two boys and do everything we can."
Community support
The Orange community is rallying around the Richings family with a GoFundMe page set up to help after their home was almost entirely destroyed in the fire.
"It is so heart lifting to see people making donations. They have lost everything, the house is completely gutted," David Richings said.
He said the family has been overwhelmed with the "amazing" support they have received, particularly from the sons' school.
"Three of the educators who work with the children have come up to do some learning and play-type programs just for that continuation," Mr Richings said.
"They have brought some of their favourite toys from class and have offered to get the kids back into school for a couple hours just so they can get back to a familiar environment and see their friends.
"They have taken so much interest in just making sure that the boys are happy and just continuing with some normalcy for them because a hospital room is no place for a child."
The cause of the fire is yet to be determined.
A specialist fire detection dog has been brought in as part of the investigation.
Crime scene officers and fire investigators will examine the house once it is deemed safe to enter.
