Metallurgy behind Mount Gambier house fire that resulted in $200,000 damages

The cause of a $200,000 house fire in Mount Gambier has been revealed – with the MFS saying it was molten metal.

A fire has caused an estimated $200,000 worth of damage to a Mount Gambier home, with authorities revealing a molten metal spill was responsible for the blaze.

Just before 4pm on Thursday, emergency services received a call from a Mount Gambier resident reporting the rear of their house on Robin Street was alight.

Four MFS crews and one CFS crew responded to the call, arriving on the scene to find the back of the house ablaze.

It took approximately 10 minutes for the crews to control the flames, successfully stopping the fire from spreading to the front of the house which contained the lounge and bedroom of the house, as well as the attached garage and a caravan.

Two residents were taken to hospital to receive treatment for smoke inhalation.

A spokesperson from the MFS told The Advertiser the cause of the fire was determined to be accidental.

“(The cause is) believed to be from some molten metal spill out of a furnace while the occupants were practising metallurgy in the backyard, and this spill ignited some nearby combustibles.”

The structural damage to the back of the house is estimated to be worth around $200,000.