Rhett Burnie
INVESTIGATORS believe radiant heat from a wood heater may have caused a fire that destroyed a Kilmore home last week.
Firefighters from Kilmore, Wallan, Broadford and Wandong arrived to find the Club Parade home engulfed by fire shortly after 8.40pm last Wednesday.
No one was at home at the time of the blaze, which took crews more than 30 minutes to bring under control.
Kilmore SES, police and ambulance crews also attended
Kilmore Fire Brigade Captain David Williams said the heat from the wood heater may have caused an item on a nearby couch to catch fire.
He said the blaze served as a timely reminder for people to take care when using any sort of heater near flammable goods.
A number of fires start when people try to use heaters to dry clothing in winter, he said.
“People have to be very careful at this time of the year when they’re trying to dry their clothes with heaters,” he said.
“It doesn’t just have to be a wood heater, any sort of heater can give off enough heat to start a fire.”
He said it was lucky the fire didn’t happen late at night.
“If they were sleeping at the time then it could have been very different.”
The home’s owner, Lauren Buckley, said the fire had left her and her two children in shock.
“I can’t believe it,” she said.
She said she had extinguished the fire before she went out.
Ms Buckley said she was amazed at the outpouring of generosity she had received in the hours after the fire.
“I’ve already had a generous flood of offers,” she said.
“Everyone has been great.”
