Multiple crews attend Fawkner fire as smoke billowed from James St unit

Firefighters had to push past piles of “junk and rubbish” to battle a blaze at a “hoarder’s” house in Fawkner.

Firefighters were temporarily blocked from accessing a unit fire by large quantities of household appliances and items that had also gone up in flames.

Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) received multiple triple-0 calls after residents on James St, Fawkner noticed black smoke coming from a unit on Monday afternoon.

Firefighters reached the scene under six minutes and found a “heavy fuel load” in the driveway completely alight, restricting access to the rear unit.

No one was inside the unit at the time and all residents have been accounted for.

A FRV spokesman said the cause of the blaze was yet to be determined.

“There is no threat or concern to the surrounding areas,” the spokesman said.

Some of the items that stopped fireys getting to the blaze quickly. Picture: Himangi Singh

The occupants of the house, two international students who didn’t wish to be named, were sleeping when the blaze started.

“We were napping when we heard the beep of the fire alarm go off so we ran outside and saw thick smoke and flames,” he told the Herald Sun.

Fireys at the scene of a blaze in Fawkner where rubbish stopped firefighters getting to the flames. Picture: Himangi Singh

“We tried getting out of the main door to run away but it was blocked by fire so we went to the back door and jumped about three fences to escape.”

Both men sustained minor injuries to their legs and hands when they were jumping the fence to escape the blaze.

It’s understood the items scattered around the property were intended to be sold on Facebook Marketplace.

Victoria Police Sergeant Wayne Howlett said the cause of the fire was unknown as officers were still investigating.

“We don’t know the cause yet but there’s quite a lot of junk and rubbish around the house. We believe that the owner is a bit of a hoarder so that’s scattered all around the backyard,” he said.

Fireys at the scene of a blaze in Fawkner where rubbish stopped firefighters getting to the flames. Picture: Himangi Singh

“It’s built up to quite a height of about six to eight feet.”

Sergeant Howlett said it was a fire hazard when people have “hoarded so much rubbish in their properties”.

“It’s quite difficult for the firefighters to get in there and extinguish the fire. The house structure wasn’t affected at all,” he said.

A neighbour who first notified authorities of the fire and called triple zero said she was “terrified” when she first saw the fire.

“We’re just next door and share a fence so it was crazy terrifying. We heard a big bang like a big explosive and when we went to the backyard we saw flames from our neighbours home,” she said.

“I was worried about my car because it was parked right next to where the fire was. We were scared about the casualties in the house and so were yelling out to the neighbours because they were sleeping.”