Ocean Grove van-lifer Brett Wigmore ‘lost everything’ in fire

An Ocean Grove van-lifer "lost nearly everything" when his mobile home went up in flames on Sunday.

An Ocean Grove Brett Wigmore man who was living in his van has "lost everything" after a fire.

An Ocean Grove van-lifer lost “nearly everything" when his mobile home went up in flames on Sunday.

Brett Wigmore has been living out of various vans for 10 years in the Ocean Grove area, where he had already lived for decades while raising his three boys.

Last July he moved into a Sprinter Van with his beloved dog Ruby.

Early on Sunday morning, Mr Wigmore was getting ready to play golf, with his van parked in the Ocean Grove golf course and boat ramp car park, when he caught sight of smoke.

“I heard a ‘pop’ and ‘bang’ and all the smoke started to fill up the van,” he said.

“I ran over to the door and let Ruby out and tried to fight the fire.

“I thought I could do it, but I near passed out.”

The Sprinter Van caught alight just after 6.45am, when his lithium battery inside the van malfunctioned.

Mr Wigmore said he was fighting an uphill battle, as firefighters later told him a lithium battery was “harder to put out than a house fire”.

While trying to stop the fire, he had neglected to rescue his belongings.

He managed to get his surf boards and guitar, but he “lost nearly everything” he owned, including his late mother’s belongings, electric skateboard, all his clothes, a fridge and more.

“I’m trying to take it positively, I’ve still got Ruby, I’m trying to look at the bright side,” he said.

“I needed a new pair of jeans, anyhow.”

Mr Wigmore said had had since felt an outpouring of generosity from the community.

“The whole experience has been pretty overwhelming,” he said.

“My sons’ young friends, they’re all chipping in five to 20 dollars and I’ve found that really touching.

“Watching my friends put money in isn’t the most comfortable thing when you know they’re week to week.

“Someone bought me some dog food yesterday.

“I’d like to say no to them but I can’t.

“The sad thing is I’d just done a shop, the fridge was full.”

He said the van had not been insured, but he was in conversations with the battery company and bank to see if there was anything anyone could do.

“I was used to sh*t boxes, and never had them insured,” he said.

“This was the first van that was worth anything.

“I pumped everything into the van and that lifestyle.”

Mr Wigmore’s son Jessie Wigmore said the whole family was devastated for their dad.

“When I got the call Sunday morning I was in shock, it’s horrible,” he said.

“Almost his whole livelihood gone.”

Jessie Wigmore launched a GoFundMe page to held his dad purchase a new van, and has already raised more than five thousand dollars.

Originally published as Ocean Grove van-lifer Brett Wigmore ‘lost everything’ in fire