OCCUPANTS of a house in Tarpeena have escaped injury after neighbours alerted them to a fire minutes before it engulfed the property on Friday night.
Five Country Fire Service (CFS) units from Tarpeena, Wandilo, Kalangadoo and Nangwarry attended the fire on Mosquito Terrace, which was reported at around 9.30pm.
Around 20 firefighters arrived to find a home “well-involved” with fire and despite the efforts of crews, the house was completely destroyed.
Police and ambulance services also attended to assist.
Mount Gambier CFS operations captain Bob Davis said neighbours across the road alerted the occupants inside the house.
“I believe the occupants had already gone to bed, however neighbours across the road saw the house burning and alerted the people inside, giving them a chance to escape,” Mr Davis said.
Mr Davis said a bulk water carrier from Mount Gambier attended, but the blaze was very hard to control.
“Crews restricted the fire from spreading into homes nearby,” he said.
“There were gas cylinders inside and outside the house and when you combine that with the fact it was a weatherboard home, it made it difficult to bring it under control.”
The home was developed from old classrooms from North Gambier Primary School that had been purchased by the owner.
A spokesperson from the CFS media unit in Adelaide said the estimated damage bill was between $250,000 and $300,000.
Fire cause investigators from Adelaide were on the scene early Saturday morning, however a cause is yet to be determined.
