Modbury Heights house fire: Family loses everything in blaze
A candle is believed to have sparked a devastating fire that destroyed a rental property and killed a Modbury Heights family’s pet cats.
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A candle is believed to have sparked a devastating fire that destroyed a rental property and killed a Modbury Heights family’s pet cats.
The fire broke out about 11pm Saturday at the Taylor Street home, with its occupants able to escape serious injury as neighbours defended their own properties with garden hoses.
Footage emerged of the firefight by neighbour Michael Payne on his fence trying to contain the blaze.
“We just heard screaming then we just came outside and saw flames,” he told 7NEWS.
“The back window exploded and the whole back room was engulfed and it was coming through the roof.”
The occupants’ pet cats were trapped inside the property, and are believed to have died in the fire.
A young girl was taken to hospital suffering smoke inhalation.
It is understood the devastating blaze started in the back bedroom when a candle set a curtain alight.
The blaze then quickly spread to the roof.
It is believed to have caused about $400,000 in structural damage to the rental property.
Meanwhile, a woman has been arrested and charged after she allegedly set fire to her own Murray Bridge home on Saturday night.
Police and fire crews were called to the Ridge Rd home about 11.55pm after reports of a house fire.
A neighbour was able to extinguish the fire, which was contained to the front bedroom, before fire crews arrived.
There were no reported injuries.
Following investigations, police charged the occupant of the home, a 27-year-old woman, with arson.
She was refused police bail and will appear at the Murray Bridge Magistrates Court on Monday.
It comes less than a week after a man was arrested for setting fire to an Elizabeth Vale home.
Just before 1am on Thursday, January 11, fire crews were called to Plaitford St after black smoke was reported coming out of a home.
Peter David Hamilton, 38, of Elizabeth Vale, appeared in Mount Gambier Magistrate Court on Friday, January 12, after he was arrested and charged over the incident.
The house was home to Catherine Rose Hamilton and her four daughters, including a six-month-old baby.
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