A FIRE thoroughly gutted a home in Waikerie on Monday, causing an estimated $300,000 damage and leaving a local family stranded – while fire crews were hard-pressed battling the blaze and ordering passers-by away from the scene.
Emergency services were called to a house fire on Harden Street, Waikerie, on Monday just after 1.30pm after reports that a transportable home was ablaze.
Six Country Fire Service (CFS) crews attended the scene, with the first arriving to find the home engulfed with flames burning through the roof.
Waikerie CFS captain Shaun Arnold said fire personnel from Waikerie, Cadell and Monash battled the fire and managed to stop it spreading.
“CFS crews arrived on the scene less than 10 minutes after the call went out, and the house was already totally overwhelmed with the flames,” he said.
“Personnel were there for over six hours battling the fire and trying to stop it from spreading to the surrounding houses – as this was in a close suburban neighbourhood – and while we were able to contain it to the one property, the house was gutted.”
While CFS crews fully extinguished the blaze and left the scene at about 7.30pm. The hot and windy weather conditions saw the fire re-ignited later that evening at about 10.45pm, bringing local CFS personnel back to the scene until after midnight.
Mr Arnold said the cause of the fire is still being investigated, but is suspected to have started from outdoor cooking.
“A woman was cooking outdoors on a gas cooker and went inside briefly when she heard a loud bang,” he said.
“When she went back out, she saw a fire had spread to the house. She grabbed her kids, immediately vacated the area, and called emergency services.
“No one was hurt in the blaze, but the house was completely gutted and the damage is estimated at about $300,000.”
Meanwhile, Mr Arnold said locals pulling up on the street to gawk at the scene “caused difficulties” for the fire crews.
“All the Waikerie and Cadell appliances were arriving on the scene, plus a bulk water carrier,” he said.
“But locals driving past who stopped their cars before we closed the street off made things very difficult for us.
“A fire is not a public event for people to come by and watch.
“We were doubled down trying to fight the blaze and stop it from spreading to neighbouring houses – having to stop and order people to move their cars away so the fire appliances could get close enough was an extra aggravation we absolutely did not need.
“People need to have a bit more common sense and thought.”