General News
11 September, 2024
Fire destroys home
Judy Rafter has extended a heartfelt thanks to the Pittsworth community and St. Andrew’s Anglican Church, for their support and assistance after her home in Hume Street caught fire on Thursday sending plumes of smoke into the night air.
“It happened so fast,” Ms Rafter said.
“I woke up when I heard the smoke alarm going off. “
Ms Rafter saw a glow down the hallway and a sense of dread filled her as she realised her house was on fire.
Spying her cat Angel nearby, Ms Rafter unlocked her front door and set the feline outside.
After a quick search for her two remaining cats, she was no longer able to exit via the front door, which was already engulfed in flames.
“It was a blessing I grabbed my keys,” she said.
Ms Rafter made it safely outside the house, her neighbour called emergency services, and within eight minutes the first crew had arrived.
In that time, the house was completely ablaze.
Community members gathered around Ms Rafter, providing her with water, and comforting her as she watched on in disbelief, as flames swallowed her house.
Four crews worked for almost an hour to shield the neighbouring structures.
By 11.10pm the fire was extinguished.
A Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) spokesperson said crews remained on scene, dampening down until well past midnight, and again on Friday morning at 2.30am, to ensure the blaze didn’t reignite.
A separate double bay garage at the back of the 1414m2 block was untouched.
“I’d like to thank the community as a whole, everybody has just been wonderful,” Ms Rafter said.
Ms Rafter is currently staying with family at the Gold Coast, taking time away to process the reality of this devastating event that has cost her everything.
She has already been in contact with Pittsworth’s Food Bank for immediate support.
Ms Rafter had a fire safety plan in place, and said it probably saved her life.
“Make sure you have a plan,” she said.
“I had one, and I needed it.”
One QFES crew returned to the scene on Friday night, after the fire reignited.
Firefighters remained on scene dampening down, for a short time.
An inspector assessed the scene that morning, deeming the fire as non-suspicious, and likely started by a candle being left un-extinguished.
Of her three pet cats, two are missing, and one named MeMe perished in the fire.
There have been sightings of a ragdoll and a tabby cat in and around Hume and Tillet Streets, that most likely belong to Ms Rafter.
She has advised her cats are friendly but inside pets, and therefore not used to the outside world.
If you happen to find any stray cats in that area, contact Pittsworth Vet Surgery on 4693 2233.
The cats answer to Angel and Squeak.
“Thank you for all the love and kind wishes that have been sent my way over the last few days,” Ms Rafter said.
She plans to resettle in Pittsworth soon, and said, “I’ll definitely put the call
out for anything I might need.”
