FIREFIGHTERS were kept busy by roof fires yesterday when two homes were burnt.
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A mother and her three young children fled a house in Glencoe Street, Kennington, yesterday when a fire broke out.
The fire started in the roof of the cream weatherboard home at 10.51am.
Firefighters brought the blaze under control in about 10 minutes but the tin roof was destroyed.
Nearby residents said the mother, who was alerted to the fire by a passerby, was visibly shocked.
She took shelter with her children in a neighbour’s home before being taken from the scene. Neighbour John Griffiths said he could smell smoke and knew it wasn’t a bushfire.
“We could smell it well before we knew what it was,” he said.
“It had a chemical, rubbery type smell and we looked outside and the fire units were there.
“The owner was obviously very distressed.
“It was good the fire trucks got there promptly and had it under control.”
Electrical wires at the roof appeared to be frayed and were surrounded by burn marks.
Firefighters confirmed that an electrical fault started the fire.
One nearby resident, who asked not to be named, said the home had recently been renovated.
CFA senior station officer Mick Lavery said the cause of the fire would be investigated.
“The occupants are OK... they did the right thing and got out of the house,” he said.
“The wind didn’t have much bearing on the fire but it didn’t help matters.
“It was quick work by firefighters and took about 10 minutes to control.”
Three trucks and about 12 firefighters attended the scene.
A smaller fire at a cottage in Russell Street, Quarry Hill, started about 2.11pm and was quickly brought under control by firefighters working from two trucks.