House destroyed in Maryknoll fire
Firefighters were called to reports of a housefire in Ravendene Court, Maryknoll, at 9.55pm on Saturday 30 October.
10 CFA fire trucks and volunteer firefighters from Maryknoll, Nar Nar Goon, Bunyip, Officer, Toomuc, Tynong, Pakenham and Pakenham Upper fire brigades responded to the fire, supported by a Breathing Apparatus van and crew from Bayswater fire brigade and an FRV appliance and crew.
Upon arrival, firefighters found a single-storey weatherboard house well alight.
Incident Controller, Deputy Group Officer Peta Waterhouse said when they arrived several neighbours were trying to help extinguish the fire using garden hoses.
“It was a really dangerous scene though, so we quickly asked them to move and part of the ceiling collapsed soon after,” she said.
Fortunately, the occupants – a father, mother and two young children who were asleep when the fire broke out – had already evacuated after the fire took hold. They were helped by neighbours who put them up for the night.
Firefighters attacking the fire externally and internally brought it under control by 10.45pm but remained on scene for several hours to completely extinguish the fire.
The fire started in the vicinity of the wood heater and spread to the ceiling. It is not deemed to be suspiscious.