Escaped home blaze

By EMMA SUN
A MOUNT Evelyn man escaped unharmed after his house was engulfed in flames last Tuesday night.
Firefighters were called to the Rangeview Road property at about 3am to find the mud-brick single-storey home fully alight.
The fire had also extended to the garden.
Seven trucks from Mount Evelyn, Wandin, Lilydale, Coldstream and Bayswater attended the fire, which firefighters contained within 45 minutes.
Mount Evelyn CFA captain Jim Armstrong said the fire was caused by embers that came out of the open fireplace, which set fire to a nylon rug. He issued a reminder for all residents with fireplaces.
“People should always have a guard across the front of an open fireplace and we advise everyone with open fires to put them out overnight.”
He also praised the man for not re-entering the house and encouraged others in similar situations to do the same, and also warned people against having firewood stacked near their homes.
“If anyone’s house is ever on fire, they should not enter it for any reason because a high percentage of people who have come out and gone back in perish in the fire,” he said.
“There was also a lot of firewood stacked up against the house, which hampered our efforts to get the fire out, which is something else residents should be wary of because if fire approaches, it’s a place for the first fire to start.”
Mr Armstrong estimated the cost of damage at about $400,000.