By Shamsiya Hussainpoor
It was a devastating 24-hour period in the Hills, marked by two house fires—one tragically claiming a life and the other completely destroying a family home.
A significant house fire erupted in Selby on Thursday night just before 7pm, rushing local firefighters into action and transforming the usually quiet area atop Black Hill into a bustling emergency response scene.
Due to the absence of reticulated water in the surrounding districts, crews quickly established a water relay system to fight the flames.
Emergency responders were swiftly called to the scene, including CFA crews from Menzies Creek, Clematis, Emerald, Monbulk, Kallista, and Belgrave, along with police and ambulance services, all working together to extinguish the fire and ensure the safety of the community.
In addition to the local brigades, specialised units were deployed to assist in various capacities, including Upwey fire brigade providing essential lighting to illuminate the scene, while Bayswater fire brigade brought in breathing apparatus support for the firefighters battling the blaze and Yellingbo fire brigade set up a rehab area to ensure the safety and well-being of all crews involved.
Selby CFA first lieutenant Paul Mather confirmed they were responding to an actual house fire when they were called to rescue, noting the smoke was visible from Route.
“When we arrived on scene, we found one room upstairs – believed to be a bedroom which was engulfed in flames, and due to the lack of reticulated water in the street, we had to establish what we refer to as a ‘water railway,’ with multiple trucks ferrying water from another location – this process takes time, and by that stage, the fire had taken hold of the house and was fully involved and as a result, our priority shifted to protecting surrounding structures, including vehicles and sheds, to prevent them from catching fire,” Mr Mather said.
“Our crews returned home late this morning after being on the scene since seven o’clock last night, teams remained on-site overnight, with rotations occurring this morning to maintain operations, at the height of the fire, we deployed 16 vehicles from various stations, and many firefighters were equipped with breathing apparatus to keep them safe from breathing toxic fumes.”
“The house is totally destroyed, nothing salvageable unfortunately for the residents, which is a shame.”
In addition to emergency responders, representatives from the power company, gas company, and the local council’s building surveyor were also present at the scene.
Mr Mather said the crew members worked diligently to bring the fire under control, and their quick response prevented further damage to surrounding properties.
He said five residents were at home at the time of the fire, but fortunately, there were no injuries reported.
The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.
On the same day, early Thursday morning 26 September, emergency services responded to reports of a fire at a residential property on Kilvington Drive in Emerald at approximately 2.40am.
Two residents, a man and a woman, managed to evacuate the home and fortunately sustained no injuries, tragically, another resident, believed to be in her 50s, was found dead at the scene.
A crime scene has been established as investigations into the cause of the fire begin; however, it is not currently believed to be suspicious.
Police are urging anyone who witnessed the incident or has relevant information to contact Crime Stoppers at 1800 333 000 or visit crimestoppersvic.com.au.
