By Kyra Gillespie
A Pakenham family has been rendered homeless after their house was destroyed by fire overnight.
Firefighters were called reports of a garage fire at Ben Drive around 8pm on Sunday 10 March.
While the blaze was under control by 8.15pm and made safe half an hour later, in that time it spread into the house, causing irreparable damage.
Investigators are yet to determine the cause of the blaze, but confirmed it was accidental.
The garage and a large portion of the home have been completely destroyed. It will have to be bulldozed.
A neighbour close to the family said they were eating dinner at the time and were unaware that their garage was alight, until someone driving by stopped to alert them.
The mother and her two children, aged three and five, escaped unharmed while the father suffered harsh third degree burns to his hands and feet while trying to get their burning car out of the garage.
The two dogs managed to escape, and the cat was later rescued by the CFA from the smouldering house.
“He was trying to get the car out before it exploded,” neighbour of five years and close friend Zoe explained.
“They got out just in time; if that person driving past hadn’t stopped they may not have made it out. They saved their lives.
“I can’t describe what it’s like holding your best friend while they watch their life burn in front of their eyes.”
Witnesses described the paint on the car bonnet peeling and the sheer, unbearable heat of the blaze.
With the recent scare of the Bunyip State Park fire, the family had packed their valuables in one place in case they had to evacuate.
That decision meant they got away with important documents such as birth certificates, but not much else.
“They had recently had a big spring clean, it took them four days. They sorted all the photo albums and stored them in the garage,” Zoe continued.
“Now they’ve lost all those memories – the baby photos, everything.”
Now with the sole earner injured and out of work, no home to return to, and with their son’s birthday two weeks away, things are looking dire for the family.
“It’s really sad; it’s a huge human toll,” fellow neighbour Christine said.
“The psychological and emotional injuries will never heal; the kids will always remember this.
“There’s just so much that comes with something like this.”
Those closest to the family have lambasted the wider community for the comments surfacing online following the tragic incident.
“There were people coming out onto the street filming and taking photos – one man stood opposite the road for about four hours filming. Not once did anyone offer to help,” Christine continued.
“A family nearly lost their lives, and yet the keyboard warriors feel they can sit in their houses and judge. What’s wrong with people?
“A little boy was distressed because he saw his daddy get burnt. Now they only have the clothes on their back and pets to care for and they are virtually homeless.
“That’s what people are missing – there’s a much bigger human story here.
“Until you sit on your lawn and watch your house go up in flames, don’t say anything.”
A GoFundMe has been set up for the family and can be found by searching Deb Graham on www.gofundme.com
