Tuesday, 12 July, 2022
Lilydale
Calls for The Bridge House to be repaired
Greater glider classified as endangered
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Local impresses in global engineering
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A Star News Group Publication
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Rubbished ruins By Mikayla van Loon A Mooroolbark property known as a rubbish dump and fire hazard has finally succumb to destruction following a major blaze which broke out on Thursday 7 July. The Straun Avenue house has been completely gutted by the fire, with local residents hoping this will now mark the end of their torment. Emergency services were called to the structure fire at 32 Straun Avenue around 7.15pm, where firefighters found the single dwelling engulfed in flames. Mooroolbark CFA captain Tony King said five pumpers, a tanker, support units and the Bayswater breathing apparatus crew were all on scene, as well as Victoria Police. “There were a lot of appliances in attendance. On arrival the premise was fully involved in fire and the brigade protected the houses adjacent and proceeded to extinguish the fire and look for any occupants because at that stage the occupants weren’t accounted for,” he said. Victoria Police have confirmed the house was vacant at the time of the fire and no one was injured. This was not the first time CFA crews and emergency services had been called to the property, with Cpt. King saying it was probably the tenth time his brigade had responded to calls of fire. Star Mail reported on a fire at the same address in February that started at the rear of the property where several tents had been located. The tenant of the property was evicted about a month ago, along with Yarra Ranges Council ordering for a clean up of the surrounding piles of rubbish. Unfortunately this had to be done at the owner’s expense, seeing 23 truckloads collected but rubbish still remained, butting up against the house and at the rear of the property under tarps. Straun Avenue residents Merrin and Chris,
Rubbish still remains strewn across the yard of the property although is much better than it used to be. and Landara Court resident Kim said they felt a huge amount of relief knowing the house had now been destroyed by fire and will no longer be occupied. “We thought it was a relief when he got evicted. I have spoken to a few neighbours and we were still a little bit funny because he still had stuff there and then when we found out there was just a curtain on the back door and he could still come and go, I thought that was still a bit of a risk with squatters,” Merrin said.
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“The neighbours still didn’t feel 100 per cent safe, whereas now at least we know there’s no dwelling and it’s completely uninhabitable.” Mr King said, “we would assume that we will not have to respond there again which will make the neighbours very happy” and he will be pleased “to see the back end of it.” Kim’s property, when she moved in five years ago, didn’t have a back fence exposing her backyard to the 32 Straun Avenue block. “When I started renting here I agreed to take the rental on with no fence because they
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weren’t living there and then they were ok for a little bit,” she said. “But I’ve had somebody in my backyard with a machete telling me they’ve murdered people.” Terrified as a single mother of two teenagers that someone would break into the house or that a fire would spread into their backyard, Kim said she became very alert in the three years the tenant of the property lived behind her. Continued page 2
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