The roof, garage and fence of the Burke Street unit damaged by fire last night.
A fire fighter has been injured and a housing unit in Warragul badly damaged after a possible electrical fault caused a fire last night.
Crews from Warragul and Drouin fire brigades responded to the fire inBurke Streetat 9.50 last night, arriving to find the attached garage of a unit fully involved and the fire spreading through the roof of the unit.
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Crews contained most of the fire to the garage, with flames spreading to the roof but causing only minor damage to other rooms. The structural integrity of the building was compromised by the fire.
One crew member fighting the fire inside the structure was injured when debris dislodged his helmet and further debris hit his head.
The injured crew member was taken to WestGippslandRegionalHospitalby ambulance for his injuries and suspected concussion. A CFA spokesperson today told The Warragul Citizen the injured man has been released from hospital.
The unit’s resident was away at the time of the fire but this was not known until some time after fire crews arrive on the scene.
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One neighbour heroically ran past the burning garage to the house in an attempt to find out if the occupant was inside.
A neighbour said the flames, which also set the back fence alight, came close to spreading to an adjacent unit.
Neighbours reported hearing nothing unusual before the fire, however heard explosions once the fire started.
It has been suggested an electrical fault in a car left in the garage caused the fire.
Neighbours might have to move away for approximately two weeks if strong winds blow asbestos material from the roof of the burned unit over the adjacent properties.
All fire appliances from both Warragul and Drouin CFAs were at the scene, with a total of five CFA trucks and one CFA car being called out.
Police and CFA Fire Investigators are investigating the fire.
The Warragul Fire Brigade responded to another two fire call-outs yesterday, one a minor fire in a small shed atWarragulRegionalCollege, also onBurke Street, and the other a false alarm inTarwin Street.
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Police are investigating the false alarm.
