Hero dad saves family from house fire
OVERCOME with grief, William Cluney cries as he surveys the smoking shell of his house - destroyed by fire.
OVERCOME with grief, William Cluney cries as he surveys the smoking shell of his house - destroyed by fire.
Mr Cluney, 34, partner Zara Moore, 21, and their five children - all aged under 10 - were only moments from tragedy when they awoke to the sound of cracking timber at their Murray Bridge rental property about 2.30am yesterday.
"We've lost almost everything - even the kids' Christmas presents - but at least we all got out alive," said Mr Cluney, who braved the flames to save his family.
His son, William junior, 5, said he thought his dad "was a ghost" when he saw him stumble into his smoke-filled bedroom before plucking him from his bed and rushing him outside to safety.
"It was very scary," the youngster said.
The family - including Ms Moore's daughter, Alexia, 3, and Mr Cluney's three children by a previous partner, Shanelle, 7, Bianca-Lee, 8, and Chandean, 10 - were overwhelmed with emotion when they returned to the house early yesterday afternoon after recuperating from their terrifying ordeal at a friend's.
Ms Moore broke down and clutched her children in disbelief when surveying the $250,000 damage wrought by the blaze at the Oven Ave house.
At least there was some joy when the family's pet cat, Jumanji, was found alive in the backyard.
A framed, but soot-covered, baby picture of Alexia also was retrieved from an ash-covered bedroom floor.
Ms Moore said her partner was "bloody brave" to fight the flames and smoke to ensure the family got out alive.
Mr Cluney, a roofer, explained how he "woke up to a strange sound and opened the bedroom door and saw the laundry ablaze and flames pouring into the hallway. I couldn't hardly see anything as I checked everyone was out."
Mr Cluney said the family had lost virtually everything and was not insured. "I was left with just my boxer shorts - I had to borrow some pants, shoes and a jumper from my neighbour across the road," he said.
"I was supposed start a new job on Monday as a roofer but now I can't even put a roof over my children's head."
Fire investigators suspect the blaze was ignited by a "discarded smoking product" in the carport.