By Tanya Steele
A ‘magic save’ property that survived the Black Saturday bushfires has been almost completely destroyed by a house fire in Upper Ferntree Gully.
A crime scene has been set up in Upper Ferntree Gully after a vacant house went up in flames on the evening of Thursday 15 August, shutting down traffic as firefighters battled the blaze.
The property in along Burwood Highway was nearly destroyed despite a huge effort from local emergency services.
“We were glad there was nobody inside, I can assure you,” said Upper Ferntree Gully CFA Captain Peter Smith.
People had been thought to be inhabiting the vacant property on and off for some time and when CFA got the call Mr Smith said initially they had no idea if there was anybody in the house.
“It [The fire] was fully involved, we couldn’t even get inside,” he said.
A CFA media spokesperson said CFA were called to the house fire alongside FRV on Burwood Highway in Upper Ferntree Gully at around 10.12pm on 15 August.
“15 units responded, with crews arriving to find what was assumed to be a vacant house on fire and breathing apparatus was support required,” they said.
“The relevant power and gas companies were notified, and Victoria Police was called for traffic control.”
A police media spokesperson said police were called to the property following reports of the fire at about 10.20 pm.
Burwood Highway was closed due to a powerline being across the road and access to the property was particularly challenging as the property is on an incline and sandwiched between the Burwood Highway and Belgrave Rail Trail.
Mr Smith said they had to run water across four lanes of traffic on Burwood Highway as they fought the blaze.
“We had to run it down from near Tradelink and get water from other trucks as well,” he said.
Units from Ferntree Gully and Upwey CFA, Fire Rescue Victoria and supporting appliances from Bayswater Breathing Apparatus, Yellingbow Rehab Unit and Ambulance Victoria were on site.
Mr Smith said they were at the site until the early hours of the morning and CFA media said the incident was deemed under control at around 1.10am.
One volunteer firefighter attended to by Ambulance Paramedics for exhaustion related symptoms on the night.
No stranger to the site of the fire, Mr Smith himself has been at the property before back in February 2009 as Black Saturday bushfires swept across the state.
“We saved that house when the Black Saturday fires went through it, in the bottom of Upper Gully,” he said.
“The fire burnt all the way around it, last night we were fighting a fire at a house we had fought to save, it was a bit of a funny feeling,”
“It was one of our magic saves – the fire came down on Quarry Road and burnt over the train line and burnt right around the house.”
At the time Mr Smith said the CFA were able to save the house.
“We thought that was magnificent,” he said.
“Then to go last night and see it the way it was was a bit of a disappointment.”
On Friday 16 August police and CFA attended the house in daylight and a police media spokesperson said at this stage, the circumstances surrounding the fire remain unclear.
“It is expected detectives and fire investigator will attend the scene,” they said.
CFA media said that after searches, no people were found inside and fire investigators were on the scene.
“Knox City Council was also notified,” they said.
Mr Smith said that ‘everyone worked brilliantly’ together and the situation was out of the ordinary.
“It was one of those properties, it was left and people moved in and we don’t know what happened, it was just disappointing and there wasn’t much we could do about it,” he said.
“It was just hard.”
Police are asking that if anyone witnessed the incident or has information to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
The fire does not appear to have been suspicious at this stage. CFA reminded the public via social media that the structure remains unstable.
