Mount Evelyn’s Clare Worsnop was left without any communications while a fire smouldered at the end of her street. 43365
By Tania Martin
GLENHOLME Avenue residents were left in a communications blackout last week as a series of fires threatened their homes.
Their phone line was torn down the previous day and residents fear it was connected to an arson attack.
More than seven fires were lit shortly after 2.30pm last Wednesday 17 February.
But Glenholme Avenue residents had no idea a fire had been started at the end of their street.
Resident Clare Worsnop said the first she knew something was up was when the fire sirens sounded and the police helicopter flew around the town.
But her first thought was a bad car accident.
It wasn’t until Ms Worsnop went out to investigate that she discovered police and CFA near one of the fires at the end of her street.
“If this had been a serious fire that got out of control we would have been in serious trouble…there is no way we could have got out,” she said.
“We had no phones, no internet and no way of communicating with anyone.
Ms Worsnop believes the fires and the phone line being torn down was more than just a coincidence.
“We can’t say for sure if it’s connected but there is no reason we can see why the line would come down unless someone pulled it down,” she said.
“There has to be some connection…the fire was in the same spot the phone line came down and we couldn’t communicate with anyone.”
But Yarra Ranges Task Unit Sergeant Phil Goodburn said police were not investigating the phone line incident in connection with the fires.
Telstra spokesman, Paul Crisp said it was still not known how the phone line came down, but the telco was continuing its investigations.
He said crews first attended the scene on Tuesday 16 February to clear the road of the cable but when they returned the following day to fix the line were told by police it had become a crime scene.
Mr Crisp said Telstra then returned to restore the line last Thursday (18 February).
Ms Worsnop said she was also concerned that when she tried to ring Telstra to report the fault on her mobile, she was denied access.
Her mobile is with another carrier and she was told she had to ring back on a Telstra specific line.
Mr Crisp said Ms Worsnop should not have had a problem with reporting the fault using her mobile.
“As long as customers have their account details it shouldn’t be a problem,” he said.
Mr Crisp has encouraged Ms Worsnop to contact Telstra so the matter could be investigated further.
