By Casey Neill
An electrical fault appears to be responsible for a fire that gutted a Launching Place home.
Neighbour Anita Moffatt spotted smoke and flames coming from the Hilltop Rise property about 10am on Tuesday 30 October.
“It was quite well on fire by that point,” she said.
“My concern was, of course, whether someone was in the house.
“I instantly grabbed my phone and called triple-zero.”
Ms Moffatt and another neighbour noticed the fire was heading towards the property’s gas meter and sought shelter inside their homes while waiting for fire crews to arrive, fearing an explosion.
District 13 operations officer Colin Brown said no explosion eventuated.
He said the first crews to arrive saw the fire in the front left of the home, spreading towards the centre.
He said the incident controller “escalated the response”, calling for five extra units to attend.
Mr Brown’s presence was part of that support, as was Bayswater’s breathing apparatus team.
He said a CFA rehabilitation unit and ambulance crews also attended due to the day’s high temperature.
“(The incident controller) saw the fire was spreading rapidly. During daytime there are minimal crew members available and she didn’t have enough people,” he said.
At the peak of the firefight, there were at least 13 CFA appliances on-scene.
“It was a very difficult firefight because of where the house was located,” Mr Brown said.
“We couldn’t get down to any side of the home because of the heat and smoke.
“It was an external firefight only.”
One of the home’s eight occupants soon arrived at the scene and informed CFA crews that two children feared to be at home were at school, and that no one else was inside.
Mr Brown said a breeze and the home’s weatherboards, flat roof and volume of contents contributed to the fire’s intensity.
The following day, he said it appeared the fire started within a tin shed adjoining the house.
“What was exactly inside the shed we don’t know, and we never will,” he said.
He said the cause was listed as an accidental electrical fault.
“Police don’t believe there was any malicious intent,” he said.
