Wallan father Indika Udagedara urges others to prepare a fire plan after blaze destroys Hidden Valley home
A young family has been left devastated after their home in Wallan in Melbourne’s north went up in flames during the school holidays. While they all got out alive, there’s one thing they wish they had prepared.
Victoria
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A young family from Melbourne’s north have shared details of a terrifying escape they made from their home after the roof caught fire, hoping others can learn from the ordeal.
Keen to beat the 37C heat on January 4, Anushka Bandaralage and her husband Indika Udagedara were enjoying a day at home with their daughters Aarya, 11, and Nethya, 10, in Hidden Valley, Wallan.
Their normal weekend took a turn for the worst when Ms Bandaralage smelled burning plastic and insisted the family find where it was coming from.
“We came outside with the girls,” Ms Bandaralage said.
“The girls were screaming ‘mum!’ They showed me the smoke coming out from the roof.”
Without a fire plan, panic quickly took hold of Mr Udagedara, who climbed onto the roof with a garden hose in an attempt to fight the flames.
“That was really stupid of me,” he said.
“I don’t even remember how I came back down (the ladder) the second time — I was panicking.
“The fire had already started and I could see flames coming toward me.”
Meanwhile, Ms Bandaralage called Triple-0 and neighbours whisked her two young girls into another house to shield them from the scene.
The fire was quickly tearing through the roof of their family home and making its way inside.
Mr Udagedara, still in a state of panic, ran into the burning home with a bucket of water thinking he could extinguish the blaze and save his belongings.
“I tried to put the carpet fire out but soon after I realised the table was on fire, every other thing was on fire,” he said.
“That was another very stupid thing — I shouldn’t have gone inside when there was that much smoke.
“There was no chance I could do anything.”
The room was ablaze, glass shattering around him and the ceiling “melting” above, Mr Udagedara sustained a grisly burn on his hand before realising he was out of his depths.
“It was really scary,” he said.
“I’m really glad that this (melted ceiling) didn’t fall onto my head or onto my clothes. If that was the case, I would have burns everywhere.
“(My advice is) don’t try to put out the fire … you are putting yourself at risk and in danger.”
Ms Bandaralage had put aside the family’s most important items, including certificates and their passports, in a drawer in the front bedroom for easy access in case of an emergency.
She followed her husband inside to grab the folder and a laptop as a wall of smoke climbed toward her.
“At that time, the fire was coming through the vent,” she said.
The couple were lucky to make their escape, and urged others to make a fire plan to avoid their mistakes.
Twelve Country Fire Authority vehicles alongside teams from Fire Rescue Victoria rushed to the scene.
It took the crews about two and a half hours to extinguish the blaze.
Reality set in for the family as the crews fought the blaze — just how fortunate they were to have all made it out safely.
“I’m really glad that all four of us are unharmed,” Mr Udagedara said.
“Material stuff we can always recover.”
A CFA spokesperson said the incident was “a tragic reminder of how quickly fire can take hold”.
“The safest option in a house fire is always to get out and stay out. No one should ever put themselves in danger trying to fight a fire themselves,” a CFA spokesperson said.
While the couple did manage to save some belongings, authorities warned the situation could have turned out very differently.
“Fires can escalate rapidly, and attempting to defend a property can put lives at serious risk.”
“Having a fire plan is critical for all Victorians, whether they live in a bushfire-prone area or not.”
The spokesperson said a well-prepared plan included key steps such as identifying a safe exit route, ensuring smoke alarms are working, and discussing your plan with friends and family.
Mr Udagedara urged others to get prepared, saying he regretted not having a fire plan in place earlier.
“I never thought this would happen to us,” he said.
“There were things that we cherish, like our albums … my girls write letters and drawings and I had them in my work room … I had a drawer full of them,” Mr Udagedara said.
The family had considered investing in a fire safe vault to store their keepsakes before the blaze — but left it too late.
“If I acted clever, I could have saved our albums that we (will now) never recover,” Mr Udagedara said.
In the midst of their loss, the family couldn’t be more grateful for the support of the Hidden Valley community.
“They’ve really wrapped their arms around us,” Mr Udagedara said.
Those that live nearby offered the family accommodation, organised food, clothes and rallied financial support.
The young girls were showered with new toys after fearing their Christmas presents were destroyed in the wreckage, while principals of both their schools — St Patrick’s Primary School, Kilmore and Assumption College, Kilmore — “called almost immediately” to offer uniforms and tuition support.
Hidden Valley resident Elle also organised a fundraiser for her “beautiful neighbours”, which as of January 14 had raised $6785.
The cause of the blaze was still under investigation as of Friday.
Originally published as Wallan father Indika Udagedara urges others to prepare a fire plan after blaze destroys Hidden Valley home
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