Berrigan’s Dylan and Maddy Sibraa’s home destroyed by fire

A young Berrigan family have been dealt a bitter blow when their home was engulfed in flames, leaving them with nothing but a pair of undies and pyjamas.

A Berrigan family have had their lives turned upside down after a fire ripped through their home, destroying everything they own.

On Sunday, November 24 at 6.30am, Dylan and Maddy Sibraa had just woken up to feed their six-month old baby Paddy when Ms Sibraa asked her husband “what’s that noise”?

They rushed to the other side of the house and saw flames engulfing their home.

Mr Sibraa immediately knew he had to ring triple-0.

“I could not get to the phone quick enough,” Mr Sibraa said.

While waiting for firefighters to arrive, Mr Sibraa grabbed the garden hose to try and extinguish the growing fire, but the hose was so hot it didn’t work.

The home was completely gutted by the fire, which began due to an electrical fault.

Firefighters, led by Mr Sibraa’s best mate and another close friend put out the fire, but the house was completely destroyed.

Mr Sibraa found a moment of comic relief in seeing his mates rock up in the fire truck.

“It was pretty funny looking back on it … They did a really good job,” he said.

Mr Sibraa, who runs a business called Sibraa Landscaping & Gardening, said “it was a real setback” for the young family.

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The Sibraas began the landscaping business about two and a half years ago and Ms Sibraa was just about to return to work this week.

“We need to find a place to live and start again,” he said.

Mr Sibraa said it was lucky they had woken up to feed Paddy, and if it had happened a few hours earlier it could have been a lot worse.
“We managed to get out before the smoke really hit,” he said.

Dylan Sibraa with his children Florence and Paddy. Picture: Supplied

The couple said they were extremely grateful for the help of the community.

“It was great to see so many farmers and community members help out,” he said.

“Before we got to our in-laws place there was over 200 people that had reached out.”

The fire was started by an electrical fault.

You can support the Sibraa’s get back on their feet here.
So far more than $27,000 has been raised to support the family.