BLAZE COST US $800K, SAY MORTIMERS
THE Mortimer family has vowed to reopen its Drysdale service station today as firefighters assess the damage caused by yesterday’s inferno.
The petrol station itself has escaped relatively unscathed but the family business lost nine petrol and gas tankers.
Owner David Mortimer said early estimates suggested the fireball had caused more than $800,000 worth of damage but said hire trucks would be called in immediately to cart fuel and ensure there were no shortages across his petrol stations.
“One of the boys from work called me ... about 12.45am. By the time I got here the police were already here and he told me to stay away, otherwise I would’ve had a crack (at putting out the fire),” he said.
“My mother’s father in 1925 started Mortimer’s and we’ve been at this site here 57 years.
“I’ve lost two gas delivery trucks and seven fuel trucks worth about $800,000.”
Mr Mortimer’s 89-year-old father Lex had undergone eye surgery the day prior and only just returned home when he had to be evacuated from his house next door.
The elder Mortimer said he was forced to stand on the hill and watch on as his life’s work burned.
“I didn’t realise how bad things were until I walked down to the servo and looked up that way. That’s when the fire brigade told us to get over the other side of the road and up the hill,” he said.
“I was there for a while watching what was happening, it was a hell of a shock.
“It could’ve been a lot worse though, if the wind had’ve been blowing from the south instead of where it was, it could’ve got the servo as well.”
Drysdale CFA captain and incident controller Brendan McDonald said about 40 firefighters spent four hours controlling the blaze.
The fire was eventually fully extinguished about 3pm — 14 hours after it started.
CFA fire investigator Ian Beswicke said they expected the site to be made safe for investigations today.