Launceston family left reeling after their home is gutted by fire that caused $500,000 worth of damage
A Launceston family is “scrambling to find a place for everyone to go,” after their home was destroyed by fire. PHOTOS + LATEST BREAKING NEWS >>
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West Launceston house fire
Thursday August 12
A LAUNCESTON man whose family lost everything in a house fire says the reality is only beginning to set in.
The Denison Grove home in West Launceston was destroyed by a fire that broke out at about 12.15pm on Tuesday.
Eamonn Connaire is the carer for his elderly parents and had been living with them, his brother and two daughters at the house.
“We’re really lucky no-one was badly hurt, everything can be replaced; it’s a cliche but at times like this you see how true it is,” he said.
Mr Connaire said his brother Ciaran had been the only one home when the fire broke out.
“He had only been home about 10 to 15 minutes and was on the computer in his bedroom when he noticed smoke coming through the bedroom door and down the hallway.”
He said his brother ran to kitchen to get some wet tea towels to try put out the fire.
“That wasn’t enough, so he ran to bathroom for some towels and water, but realised it wasn’t going to be enough and ran out of the house.”
“He broke a window to try and get some stuff out and went around the deck and saw a cat inside, so he broke a window and the cat jumped out.
He said his brother was treated in hospital for smoke inhalation and cut to his shoulder.
Mr Connaire said they were allowed into the home on Wednesday night and were now looking through the debris to see what was salvageable.
“We were moving so I had brought in boxes with a fair few heirlooms into the house which is something that can’t be replace,” he said.
To make matters worse, the family was not insured at the time.
“We were planning to move and I had just let it lapse, I thought I would sort it out later when we were in the new place,” he said.
He said the community had rallied around to support them.
“People have been really lovely, some have offered a bed, clothes, a table and one lady offered a storage shed for our stuff,” Mr Connaire said.
He said a lawnmower and some other garden items had also been stolen from a shed on the property following after the fire.
Investigators have deemed the fire that caused an estimated $500,000 of damage, accidental.
“Something combusted on the left hand side of the fireplace, I’m not sure what it was, nothing changed there in three years,” he said.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help raise funds to support the family.
East Derwent Highway crash
8:46pm, Thursday August 12
Emergency services are at the scene of a multi-vehicle crash at the intersection of East Derwent Highway and Gordons Hill Road in Lindisfarne.
Police are urging drivers to avoid the area.
No serious injuries have been reported as of yet.
Truck rolls at Fingal
3:05pm, Thursday August 12
Tasmania Police are warning drivers of delays in the western end of Fingal after a truck rolled on Manley Street this morning.
Traffic congestion is anticipated until around 5pm while a tow truck attemps to remove the vehicle from the road.
The road is not blocked and no injuries have been reported.
Man’s thong causes crash at Glenorchy
3pm, Wednesday August 11
A rogue thong stuck on the accelerator appears to be the cause of a two-car smash in Glenorchy this afternoon.
Emergency crews were called to the crash on Pitcain Street just before 3pm, with one woman rushed to hospital.
One of the drivers involved, James Duggan, said he was travelling in the car with his partner when he ran into trouble.
“We were in the car. A thong got caught on the throttle, couldn’t brake,” he told the Mercury at the scene.
“[The people in the other car] They’re all fine. They’ve gone over and been checked out. “
Witness Robert Reid said “it was all smashed up” when he came across the scene.
“I was down at the bakery on Chapel Street. I heard them giving it a hiding,” he said.
Tasmania Police were called out to the scene just before 3pm.
One woman in the red car was rushed to hospital, citing chest pains. She was attended to by ambulance officers on the scene before being taken to hospital.
None of the other people involved in the crash sustained serious injuries.
The crash is being investigated by police.
Missing kayaker rescued in Derwent River
2:32pm, Wednesday August 11
Polair has found a missing kayaker clinging to her vessel after she became separated from her companion while paddling from Cornelian Bay to South Arm around 12:50pm on Wednesday afternoon.
Two rescue helicopters searched the Derwent River between the Tasman Bridge and Tramere for around two hours this afternoon.
The kayaker was winched from the water and airlifted to the Royal Hobart Hospital for medical assessment.
UPDATE: Cause of North West football club fire revealed
2pm, Wednesday, August 10
Ashes from a fireplace thrown into a cardboard box are believed to be what started a fire at a rural football clubrooms on Tuesday night.
The inside of the Cuprona Football Club, at Heybridge, in the State’s North West, has been significantly damaged.
The Tasmania Fire Service said the discarded ashes reignited and the fire then spread.
Fire crews were called to the club just before 7pm and arrived to find the building well alight.
Crews from Burnie, Penguin and Ulverstone attended.
TFS Fire Investigator Shayne Andrews said those cleaning out fireplaces and wood heaters needed to be sure coals and ashes were completely cold and extinguished before they were disposed of .
“This incident serves as a reminder that ashes can retain their hear and ignite when they come into contact with something flammable,” Mr Andrews said.
He recommended ashes were dampened with water before thrown out.
UPDATE: North West football club fire
9am, Wednesday, August 10
The North West football community is rallying behind a club which has again been hit by fire.
The clubrooms of the Cuprona Football Club at Heybridge were damaged by fire overnight Tuesday.
The structure is still standing but internal damage appears significant.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
Club member Justin McPherson said he had been at the scene last night and was now waiting for clearance to get into the clubrooms and see what memorabilia could be salvaged.
The Tasmania Fire Service also needed to be called to the clubrooms about 10 years ago.
“We won’t know the full extent or cause until tomorrow,” the club told its supporters on Tuesday night.
“We appreciate all the messages of support and are devastated.”
Supporters told the club they were right behind the Bulldogs, with offers of help already flooding in.
“Doggies stick together. We got this,” said one supporter.
“I’m sure we can all pull together and help rebuild the clubrooms in one way or another,” another said.
Cuprona plays in the Darwin Football Association which heads into its finals this weekend.
President Barry Dunham said the association would meet with Cuprona Football Club as soon as they could to see how they could help it through the dad times.
“It is supposed to be an exciting time with our finals series starting Saturday but we will be sure to have you in our minds as to what we are able to do to help,” Mr Dunham said.
“We do hope some of the treasured pictures etc on display may be saved when you are allowed to get inside.”
North West football club fire
7:23pm, Tuesday, August 10
The Tasmania Fire Service is at the scene of a blaze burning on River Road at the Cuprona Football’s clubrooms in Heybridge in the North West.
Upon arrival crews found the rear of the building well alight.
Darwin Football Association president Barry Dunham took to Facebook to express his deepest condolences to club members and said he hoped that memorabilia could be saved.
“We do hope that maybe some of the treasured pictures etc on display may be saved when you’re allowed to look inside.”
“It is supposed to be a exciting time with our finals series starting Saturday but we will be sure to have you always in our minds as to what we are able to do to help.”
West Launceston house fire
12:45pm, Tuesday, August 10
A person has been taken to hospital for smoke inhalation following a house fire that caused serious damage to a West Launceston home on Tuesday afternoon.
Four crews responded to the blaze at the large two-storey home on Denison Grove around 12:42pm.
The house was fully alight upon arrival.
Tasmania Fire Service said Tasmania Police have put a fire watch on the residence overnight and will return on Wednesday morning to assess the full extent of the damage.
Man dies in Derwent Valley crash
6:30pm, Sunday August 8
A 56-YEAR-OLD father of 13 was delivering Mercury newspapers as he had done for years early on Sunday morning when a head-on collision resulted in his tragic death.
Family and friends of John Tscherkaskyj, more affectionately known as John Custard Jay, are in shock after learning he had died at the scene of a crash about 1.45am Sunday at Gordon River Rd, Glenora.
The delivery driver’s wife, Kellie Jay, posted a comment on the Tasmania Police Facebook page saying it had been a “very tough time”.
“What made it harder was that I was at work when I was told by police and I was the one who had to tell my 13 children that their dad passed away in an accident,” she wrote.
Sergeant Jason Klug said the Goodwood man was travelling west when his Toyota HiLux and another eastbound Toyota HiLux collided.
The male driver and female front-seat passenger in the other car, both 18 years old, were taken to the Royal Hobart Hospital in a serious but stable condition.
Sergeant Klug said initial investigations suggested one of the cars had been on the wrong side of the road while negotiating the slight right-hand bend.
“We believe that speed may not be a contributing factor to this crash but any impact, particularly (in a) head-on crash, regardless of the speed, has significant consequences,” he said.
“Although the road conditions were quite cold, officers that attended the scene reported that the conditions were clear and they noticed that there was no frost or ice at that time.”
The incident brings the Tasmanian road fatality tally for 2021 so far to 23 deaths.
“Any death on the roads is certainly a tragedy, it has a flow-on effect, not just for those involved, but their family, their friends, the community, and of course the emergency services that attend the scene,” Sergeant Klug said.
“We urge people to please slow down, we know that the large majority of serious crashes are occurring on our rural roads.
“Slow down, take care, don’t drive when you’re fatigued.”
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