TEACHER MOURNED AFTER FATAL BLAZE:
THE Ocean Grove community is mourning the death of a beloved psychology and drama teacher who died in a house fire on Monday night.
Mother and grandmother Dawn Webster is believed to have died when fire engulfed her house just before 9pm.
The fire, which is no longer being treated as suspicious, is understood to have started in one room before it spread to the lounge room and destroyed much of Ms Webster’s Arcturus Rd house.
Ms Webster’s son — a student at Bellarine Secondary College — paid tribute to his mother on social media, posting an image of her socialising with two friends.
Friends also paid tribute to an “amazing woman” who had raised a “beautiful family”.
Another said: “These things are never wished upon, sending love and respect to you and your family”.
It is understood Ms Webster was teaching drama at Bellarine Secondary College while the fulltime teacher was on maternity leave and that she had previously been a psychology teacher at the school.
Yesterday mourners placed floral tributes outside Ms Webster’s rental property.
The house — hidden by trees and bushes — is in a quiet part of Ocean Grove. Neighbours said Ms Webster lived at the house with her teenage son and largely kept to herself.
Police are yet to release details surrounding the cause of the fire but investigating officers believe the blaze started in one room and quickly spread.
Arson squad detective SeniorSergeant Glen Hatton said firefighters located a body after the fire was extinguished. “It’s a house with aluminium cladding — it appears the fire has been burning for some time in one room and spread through the rest of house,” Sen-Sgt Hatton said.
“The vast majority of bedroom and lounge room area were destroyed.” On Tuesday neighbours told the
Geelong Advertiser they had heard loud explosions before seeing flames coming from the property.
Emilie Schwartz, who lives opposite the house, was watching television with her grandfather when she saw a “massive glow”.
Ms Schwartz said the flames were about 7m high and sent embers across the street.
She and neighbours watched firefighters fight the blaze but did not know anyone had died until forensic investigators arrived at the scene
A late-model green Holden Commodore wagon remained parked in front of the property yesterday.
The car was filled with textbooks, clothing and boxes of school material.