Light fitting suspected cause of house fire
A faulty light bolt fitting appears to be behind a fire that gutted a Gore home yesterday morning.
Southern region fire risk management officer Mike Cahill said that burn patterns found during a scene examination shortly after the fire indicated the light fitting, in a bedroom of the Broughton St home, was responsible.
"I believe we're sort of looking at the possibility of a light fitting (starting the fire). There's just nothing left of it to determine how exactly, or why, it went."
Gore deputy chief fire officer Lindsay McIntosh said emergency services were called to the property about 8.15am.
Two fire engines from Gore, one fire engine from Mataura, a water tanker, and a support vehicle as well as about 30 crew members attended the fire, which was well involved when they arrived, he said.
Initially there was concern people were inside the burning house, but firefighters quickly determined no-one was home, he said.
The house was extensively damaged in the blaze.
"It is fairly well gutted. There's major damage, a lot of fire damage (inside the house)," he said.
Neighbour Ethan Fiveash said he was alerted to the fire next door by the sound of fire engines.
When he looked outside he saw flames, and plenty of smoke.
"There was heaps of smoke. It looked like a secret nuclear weapon went off," he said.
His friend Stewart Cowan said he could see smoke pouring out of the house from further down the hill, while another Broughton St resident, Alex King, also said there appeared to be a lot of smoke coming from the blaze.
"There was a good smoke. It looks like it started at the back (of the house) there and there was a lot of smoke when I came down ... I saw one of the (firefighters) going through the door and there was just black."
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