Vic: Neighbour grabbed cats after fears fire would spread

AAP General News (Australia)
08-17-2009
Vic: Neighbour grabbed cats after fears fire would spread

MELBOURNE, Aug 17 AAP - A man who grabbed his cats and ordered his wife to get out
of their house has told of his fears a blaze across the road that killed five people would
spread.

Firefighters who arrived at the Jetty Road weatherboard home in Clifton Springs at
about 2.30am (AEST) on Sunday found the property engulfed in a fire that was fanned by
fierce wind.

Only one person, Aaron Holloway, 31, survived.

Mr Holloway's wife Ash, 24, sons Brodie, two-and-a-half, and Thomas, 18 months, and
fraternal infant twins Mackenzie and Cooper all died in the blaze.

Neighbour Peter England told ABC Radio on Monday he saw "one big fireball" when he
was alerted to the blaze by a telephone call from a nearby resident.

"It was rather horrific," he said.

"I hurriedly dressed and looked through the window, I could not believe it...

"The embers were going up the road..."

"I was grabbing my two pet cats and telling the wife to get the car out and go because
I actually thought the road was going to be on fire."

Mr England said the impact would have been much worse if the fire had occurred in summer.

"There was no way that you could have got in there to get anyone," he said.

Mr Holloway, a truck mechanic, underwent surgery in Geelong Hospital after suffering
burns, abrasions and smoke inhalation, and is in a stable condition, a spokeswoman confirmed
on Monday.

AAP ees/gfr/ash

KEYWORD: FIRE NEIGHHBOUR

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