NSW bushfires: Firestorm destroyed Penny’s home in just 20 minutes

It was only 20 minutes from when Penny Stanbridge first saw the bushfires in the state’s north before they destroyed her home of 23 years.

• Homes razed, firefighter critically hurt as bushfires rage in NSW

It was only 20 minutes from when Penny Stanbridge first saw the bushfires in the state’s north before they destroyed her home of 23 years.

The double brick house is one of a number of buildings in the town of Tenterfield that was razed on Friday.

The 71-year-old said she was making lunch when she first saw the fire only kilometres from her home.

“I made a call to triple zero at 3.10, then a police officer came around to my house and yelled at me to leave now,” she told The Sunday Telegraph.

Penny Stanbridge, 71, who lost her home and all of her possessions with her son Ross. Picture: David Swift.

The ferocious firefront at Tenterfield. Picture: Facebook/

“By 3.30 I was watching the fire at my friend’s place and saw my house being completely destroyed.”

The home, which was recently valued at $650,000, was decorated with historical artifacts she had collected her whole life.

“There was a blunderbuss from the 1700s and a drill from the 1800s my late husband used to build the home. It is all gone now,” she said.

Her son, Ross Stanbridge, 51, lives at the family’s property in Stanthorpe, in Queensland, but kept his valuable vintage cars at the property.

All that remains of the Stanbridge home and family ute. Picture: David Swift.

Ross Stanbridge looking into a shed that had $200,000 worth of vintage cars destroyed. Picture: David Swift.

“I had a 1906 Cadillac and a 1926 Vauxhall in the shed out the back, there is nothing left of them,” he said.

“Counting all the cars on the property, we would have lost about $250,000.”

“More than that though the Cadillac is very sentimental. My dad died on the property 11 years ago and when he was cremated I put his ashes through the engine and blasted him out on the property.”

Glen Goldsmith lost his shed and tens of thousands of dollars worth of machinery. Picture: David Swift.

It is the worst damaged in home in Tenterfield and RFS building impact inspectors were on site this morning.

They urged the family not to enter the crumbling remains was still significant structural damage and small spot fires burning.

Unfortunately, the Stanbridge family’s three cats perished in the fire.

The home was insured and Penny said she was lucky she had a place to stay.

“Ross has been living at our home in Stanthorpe so I’ll just move in with him. I guess he will annoy me now.”