Home spared after family woken by smoke alarm
cause.
Yesterday, the fire service said the February 2 fire had been deemed accidental and was caused by a mechanical failure in the engine compartment of an excavator.
The excavator then caught fire.
Members of the Bob Brown Foundation moved back into the Tarkine rainforest after being evacuated as the blaze approached their protest camp.
The foundation was established in September last year and said hundreds of volunteers had camped at, and visited the forest blockade, since.
“Thanks to the tireless efforts of the TFS and Parks and Wildlife Service this ancient forest has been spared from the bushfire,” Bob Brown Foundation Tarkine Campaigner Scott Jordan said.
“Now it’s our job again to defend the giant eucalyptus forest and rainforest from the loggers.”
Conservationists have taken issue with the State Government’s plans to upgrade a road in the Sumac forest — which overlooks the Arthur River.
The Government announced in January last year it would spend $2 million upgrading the road to encourage more visitors into the area.
“Funding for improvements to Sumac Road will flow in the coming financial year (2019-2020), with the project starting during that time,’’ a Government spokesperson said yesterday. A SMOKE alarm has allowed a Mountain River family to escape and stop a fire destroying their home.
The family were woken by the screeching alarm just before 3am yesterday and went outside to find the deck of their Gums Rd property alight.
When firefighters from Grove, Sandfly and Huonville arrived they found the family had stopped the fire spreading to their house.
The house suffered minor damage, while the deck was badly burnt.
The total damage bill is estimated at $60,000.
Tasmania Fire Service said it was believed the blaze start- ed in a fire pit built into the deck.
“This family is very lucky there wasn’t a more serious outcome,” TFS district officer Stuart Males said.
“Fires should always be soaked with water and completely extinguished before you leave them unattended.
“It was the working smoke alarm that gave this family the time to take steps to save their home.”
helen.kempton@news.com.au