Blaze destroys home

By Tania Martin
A BELGRAVE Heights man was devastated after his house and garage was gutted by a fire last week.
Brendan Dixon was shocked when police called him shortly after 5.30pm on Friday about the fire.
“As soon as I heard the bad news I jumped in a cab and came straight home,” he said.
Mr Dixon said it was devastating to see his house, garage and belongings destroyed.
“It was pretty bad, the garage was destroyed and my car was basically just ash and inside the house everything was pretty stuffed,” he said.
Mr Dixon said there was little that he has been able to salvage from the fire except for some photographs and a couple of pieces of furniture.
“Most of our stuff was pretty much gone,” he said.
The fire in Vale Road, Belgrave Heights, started shortly after 2pm on Friday but it is still unknown what caused it.
Detective Senior Constable Ross McDonald of Lilydale Criminal Investigations Unit (CIU) said police are now calling for any witnesses to the fire.
He said police were still unsure if the fire, which started shortly after 2pm, was caused by arson.
But Det Sen Const McDonald said police are calling for anyone to come forward who may have seen a late model black ute in the area at the time of the fire.
He said police are also looking for a tradesman who may have been seen in the area between Vale Road and Harvey Street at the time of the blaze.
Belgrave South CFA Captain Aaron Carlton said more than 45 firefighters were called to the scene to help extinguish the blaze. He said several units from Belgrave South, Belgrave, Upwey, Selby, Rowville and Bayswater were called to the scene.
Support crews from The Basin and Ferntree Gully were also called.
Mr Carlton said when he arrived on scene it was to find the house and garage ablaze.
But he said the brigade’s first priority was to protect neighbouring properties from going up flames.
Mr Carlton said the fire took three hours to contain and was one of the most intense and hottest he has ever seen. Police have also commended the efforts of a nearby neighbour who notified the CFA and then started extinguishing the blaze with a garden hose.
But Daniel Duivenvoorden said he was just trying to save the neighbouring houses from going up in flames.
Mr Duivenvoorden said he arrived home from work shortly after 2pm last Friday when he noticed a yellow haze across the skyline.
“I then noticed a trail of smoke and got my brother and his wife to ring the CFA while I went to investigate,” he said.
“I ran straight down to the house and got a garden hose onto the house.”
The CFA arrived soon after but Mr Duivenvoorden continued to help the firefighters by hosing down the front garden.
Mr Dixon said he is now staying with nearby friends while he looks for somewhere to live.
Anyone who may have seen or heard anything should contact Lilydale CIU on 9735 1066.