A SOUTH East man suffering from the effects of smoke inhalation was taken to hospital by ambulance after his Millicent home was gutted by fire on Saturday morning.
Country Fire Service rushed to the Woodlands (six-acre blocks) semi-rural area of Millicent after the alarm was raised at 7.14am.
The property near the intersection of Acacia Drive and Wattle Road is shrouded by vegetation and mature trees.
Police, ambulance and CFS crews arrived to find a three-bedroom, wooden, demountable home fully alight.
In total five CFS fire trucks attended, with around 35 firefighters using defensive techniques to stop the fire spreading to nearby shoulder-height grass.
The occupant was able to get out of the home safely, but was injured by the fire.
The structure was completely destroyed, with losses estimated to be between $150,000 and $200,000.
Wattle Range CFS group officer Fred Stent attended the blaze and summoned two fire appliances from the Millicent brigade and one each from the Glencoe, Mount Burr and Rendelsham brigades.
Mr Stent said firefighters used face masks and breathing apparatus while taking about 30 minutes to control the blaze.
“I mobilised other brigades but I stood them down,” Mr Stent said.
“A power line was causing us concern and so we sent for a SA Power Networks crew.
“We had to treat the line as live.”
An eyewitness who lives nearby was driving past when he noticed the smoke.
He told The South Eastern Times that he had first thought it was a cloud, then realised it was smoke and remembered it was fire danger season.
“I drove into the property, saw the fire and raised the alarm,” the eyewitness said.
“The occupant of the house had got out and was trying to put out the flames.
“They had singed the hair on his head and body.”
Fire cause investigators examined the scene over the weekend to confirm the cause of the fire and there are no suspicious circumstances.
