Man who defended neighbour’s home from fire loses his own
Musician Pat McFarlane successfully defended his friends’ house; when he went back to his own home it was destroyed. The Lithgow resident was tonight grateful to at least still have his pet dog Jack. VIDEO: RESIDENTS DEFEND THEIR HOMES
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Musician Pat McFarlane successfully defended his friends’ house; when he went back to his own home it was destroyed.
The 62-year-old said his Christmas was ruined after a blaze took his rental home.
“Everything I own is in that pile of ashes,” the Crane Rd, Lithgow resident told The Sunday Telegraph.
“At least my dog Jack and I are ok.
“It was like a river of fire creating it’s own current.”
Mr McFarlane said his other friends were supposed to be coming for Christmas but are stuck because of road closures in the Blue Mountains.
Standing with a hose pouring water over the smouldering ruins, he said “I just don’t know what I’m going to do”.
Earlier fire crews in Lithgow are rushing to the end of Gell Rd after violent winds gusts kicked up the blaze.
The fire front is only metres from homes at Cobar Park and has moved about 150m in less than fives minutes.
Police and fire crews have been knocking on every door and warning
people of the dangers.
Residents like Rob Corney – who has lived through two major fires in the area – are hosing their homes with water.
“I’ve never seen the fire jump as much as this; it’s spotting fires everywhere,” the 42-year-old said.
“I’m not going anywhere because I’ve got nowhere else to go. I’m not starting from scratch again.”
One abandoned home has already been lost this morning in Cobar Park.
There are now ten fire trucks and roughly 40 firefighters battling the blaze, which is expected to get worse when winds pick up in the afternoon.
Lithgow deputy group captain Adam Sharwood said the Gell Rd area is currently a top priority for the Lithgow RFS.
“We can’t get control over any of the lines between the fire front and Lithgow,” the RFS volunteer said.
“Anywhere east of here will be affected.”
The fire around Oaky Park – which is 3km east of Cobar Park – was under control as of 11.52am.
Earlier, fire crews managed to save several houses after flames came within 8m of properties.
At least five fire trucks swarmed around McKellars Park and Cobar Park in Lithgow, as the main fire accelerated through the region at about 7.30am.
Crews battled for more than three hours to bring the blaze under control.
Rural Fire Service Rock Forest captain Neil Gunning said crews rushed to the area following a triple-0 call this morning.
“We have managed to get to the fire before it hit any homes however one abandoned property has been lost,” Mr Gunning told The Sunday Telegraph.
“We will monitor it because there is still a lot of fire activity and it is still burning on the western side of the hill,” he said.
“Conditions will deteriorate.”
The majority of residents in the leafy suburb – which is surrounded on three sides by bushland – have decided to leave.
However 55-year-old Martyn White has two hoses and some buckets and has vowed to defend his property.
His neighbour has decided to do the same.
Mr White said his efforts will be impacted by the lack of water pressure in the area – a situation caused by firefighters needing to access water mains.
”I don’t care what they say I am not going anywhere,” he told The Sunday Telegraph.
“In this situation you only have to worry about yourself and look out for number one.”
The area has been hit by fires in 1997 and 2013.