House fire devastation

By Tania Martin
AN EMERALD couple is devastated after its house caught fire last week.
Shortly after 4.30pm last Tuesday the house caught fire and, despite local firefighters’ efforts, was destroyed by the blaze.
Jai Smith and his partner Kate were renting the house, on EmeraldMonbulk Road, and are now staying with relatives in Belgrave until they figure out where they will go from here.
Mr Smith said he lost a lot of irreplaceable items, such as books on craft work and art.
He said losing the replaceable items, such as the televisions, was not such a concern.
“We salvaged as much as we could,” he said.
Emerald Country Fire Authority captain Paul Yandle said the fire was “fully involved” when the brigade arrived on the scene.
Captain Yandle said Clematis and Monbulk fire fighters were also on hand to help put the fire out.
He said it took 3540 minutes to extinguish the blaze, but the brigade was kept until midnight securing the scene.
Emerald firefighter Daniel Ripley said this had been the biggest fire in the area so far this year.
“It was certainly a challenge, and everyone on the scene did a really good job to contain the fire,” he said.
CFA Region 13 operations officer Darren Trelore said the fire had been deemed accidental, but that the exact cause was still under investigation.
Captain Yandle said the fire fighters managed to contain the fire and protect the old Choo Choos Restaurant, which is a local icon.
The old restaurant is located next door to where the fire occurred.
Emerald State Emergency Service members were also on the scene of the fire assisting the CFA with lighting into the night.
The house was first built in 1954 by artist and sculptor Hanns Knoor.
Chris Britton of the Emerald Museum said that in 1956, the Von Trapp family had visited the house and spent an afternoon singing in the lounge room.