UPDATE Sunday, 9.55am: Fire destroyed a family’s home of more than 30 years on the outskirts of Heathcote on Saturday afternoon.
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The three occupants of the house – a mother and her son and daughter – were home at the time, when their neighbour from across the road alerted them to the approaching danger.
Nick Loraine and his mother and sister quickly escaped the property as three-metre high flames took hold of a shed alongside their house.
“The flames were over the shed, the cars were involved, we managed to get the animals away, and gas bottles started to explode,” he said.
“It was too late to save the house by the time we noticed the fire.
“It got hold of the back of the house and got into the roof. The two front rooms were able to be salvaged, but the fire got into the roof so even those are pretty badly damaged.”
None of the family members were injured in the fire. They had to stand watch as more than 20 fire crews battled the blaze.
Almost all of their belongings were destroyed. The family cat hit under the house and managed to escape, while horses also remained uninjured.
The family spent the night in a motel in Heathcote, and returned to the scene the next morning to assess the damage. Fire crews remain at the site to continue blacking out.
Mr Loraine said they were insured, and were just relieved that no one was hurt.
“We’ve lost a lot of memories,” he said.
“But these things can be replaced. You can’t replace lives.”
A person using a lawnmower on a neighbouring property started the fire about 3.30pm on Saturday, which quickly spread in a northerly direction.
Fire crews were able to contain the blaze to the Yemm Lane property without it causing damage to nearby houses.
The family have lived in the house for 30 years after it was relocated to Heathcote from Melbourne.
Ray Henness, who first saw the fire as it took hold of the family’s shed across the road, said he could barely see the house through the smoke when he first saw the fire.
“We just had to get them out before the fire got into the house, they hadn’t noticed it yet,” he said.
“I saw their neighbour trying to put it out with a rag, but it wasn’t doing anything.
“I banged and yelled at their house, they had no idea it was on fire. I took their five dogs over to my place.”
Mr Henness had visitors at his house when he saw the flames through a window. By that stage, the fire was already threatening to cross the road to his house.
“It was right on the nature strip, their shed was on fire, there were a couple of explosions from gas bottles, cars were on fire,” he said.
“Within five minutes, their house was going up.
“It was just lucky no one was hurt and all of the animals survived.”
The family said they were grateful for the timely intervention of Mr Henness.
UPDATE Saturday, 5.30pm: A house and multiple sheds have been destroyed in a fire on Yemm Lane on the outskirts of Heathcote, a spokesperson for the CFA has confirmed.
The fire was believed to have been started by a person using a lawnmower on a neighbouring property.
No one was injured in the fire, the spokesperson said.
Eight cars on the property were also destroyed.
The fire is no longer spreading and about 20 CFA units remain on the scene to black out the area. The air support is no longer being used.
The blaze burnt over 12 hectares.
EARLIER: A house and shed have been involved in a spreading grassfire on the outskirts of Heathcote this afternoon, which remains out of control.
Emergency services were called to the fire on Yemm Lane at 3.20pm, which rapidly spread into nearby trees.
A spokesperson for the CFA said the fire had spread to a house and shed, but could not confirm the extent of the damage.
The fire is not yet under control and an advice message has been issued for Heathcote and surrounding areas. It has burnt over two hectares.
Nineteen units and an aerial unit have been called to contain the fire. Smoke will be visible in the township of Heathcote.
The CFA was also called to Mia Mia-Derrinal Road in Heathcote this afternoon, but it was a false alarm.
More to come.