Veronica Foale tells how smoke alarm saved her family as fire destroys home
A southern Tasmanian woman is crediting a smoke alarm with saving her family’s life. Read her account of what happened.
Tasmania
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Veronica Foale has told how a smoke alarm saved the lives of her family, who escaped with just the clothes they were wearing, after she was woken from a deep sleep to find her home full of smoke and a fire in the bathroom.
Her 12-year-old daughter Evelyn was treated for smoke inhalation after the fire destroyed the family’s home of 16 years in Highland Lakes Rd, Melton Mowbray about 4am on Friday morning.
“We didn’t need to go to hospital thank goodness,” Ms Foale said.
The family were all recovering from Covid but Ms Foale and her husband Nathan, who both have disabilities were hopeful that her soap and body products business in a studio next door to the house could be salvaged.
“The smoke alarm woke us up from a dead sleep, and we went, ‘what is that noise?” she said.
“Then we realised ‘oh my gosh, it’s the smoke alarm’.
“The house was full of smoke.
“The bathroom was on fire, and so I shut the bathroom door and we got the (three) kids out through the front door, and managed to get all the foster cats and foster kittens out.
“The house went from just a bit of smoke to up in flames so, so fast, we didn’t manage to get anything out except ourselves.”
Ms Foale said that the house was insured and the fire was believed to have been caused by an electrical fault.
“The entire house and stuff is gone,” she said.
“It’s just ashes.
“They brought in an excavator to take out the roof.”
Ms Foale, who also cares for and fosters abandoned cats and kittens said four kittens and two adult cats had been saved and collected by a veterinarian.
While the business was salvageable it faced an uncertain future ahead of Christmas.
“The actual studio has some smoke damage, but I think I’m probably going to be able to salvage most of the business,” she said.
“I’m not sure we will be able to run in the short term, which is such a huge blow, because it’s nearly Christmas.”
As firefighters battled the blaze, the Foales managed to push a car to safety.
The family were unsure where they would spend the coming days but Veronica’s brother David Foale said the family would rally around them and Ms Foale said community support had been amazing.
“The community support has been overwhelming and very helpful,” she said.
Mr Foale said the fire had been “a massive, massive setback” for his sister and her family.
There was an outpouring of support for the family on social media with one friend posting: “Please help if you can – this amazing human being has lost everything.”
Samantha Wade, a family friend, has set up a gofundme campaign for the Foale family which includes Veronica, husband Nathan and their three children aged 18, 15 and 12.
“This was not just a house that has been lost,” Ms Wade said.
“It was a rescue haven for cats and kittens that Veronica fostered to give them a second chance at life, this was Veronica’s place of business where she has run her soap studio for the past 10 years and the family home of all three kids.
“All donations received will be sent directly to the family so they can restart from scratch and to rebuild their lives.”
To donate go to: https://www.gofundme.com/f/3ts69u-family-of-5-loose-everything-in-house-fire
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Initial: A family of five have escaped with only the clothes they were wearing after fire tore through their home and business in the state’s South on Friday morning.
A 12-year-old girl was treated for smoke inhalation after the blaze engulfed the family’s home and soap and body products making business in Highland Lakes Rd, Melton Mowbray about 4am.
David Foale, the sister of Veronica Foale, who has run her business at the home for 10 years, said she was woken by a smoke alarm in the living room.
“She came out to investigate from a bedroom and realised that the bathroom was on fire,” he said.
“She roused all the kids and opened up the other end of the house and basically told everybody to get out of the house, it’s on fire
“They got the hose and tried to control the fire as best as possible, but it was too far gone.
“The house is completely destroyed.
“It is devastating. They got out of the house with the clothes on their backs and their phones and nothing else.”
Mr Foale said the soapery next door, which had just recently been built, was heavily damaged and the soap and products may be unable to be sold or used.
“It is a massive, massive setback,” he said.
Ms Foale, who is recovering from Covid and has a connective tissue disorder, is also well known for running a cat fostering service.
“She usually has between six and 12 cats but they have been picked up by a vet,” he said.
The cause of the fire is being investigated.
Samantha Wade, a family friend, has set up a gofundme campaign for the Foale family which includes Veronica, husband Nathan and their three children aged 18, 15 and 12.
“This was not just a house that has been lost. It was a rescue haven for cats and kittens that Veronica fostered to give them a second chance at life, this was Veronica’s place of business where she has run her soap studio for the past 10 years and the family home of all three kids,” she said.
“All donations received will be sent directly to the family so they can restart from scratch and to rebuild their lives.”
To donate go to: https://www.gofundme.com/f/3ts69u-family-of-5-loose-everything-in-house-fire
Originally published as Veronica Foale tells how smoke alarm saved her family as fire destroys home
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