By BRIDGET COOK
A FIRE which destroyed a bungalow and caused significant damage to a Cranbourne West house has prompted a warning over rechargeable batteries.
Well-known Casey resident Judy Davis and her family lost the bungalow at the back of their house to a fire just before midnight on Sunday.
Ms Davis said a quick response from the CFA managed to contain the fire to just the bungalow, but their house received significant smoke damage and they were unable to live in it.
“My son lived in the bungalow so everything he owned has gone up in flames,” she said.
“The walls in our house will have to be repainted, but that’s the least of our worries.
“The worst part was my son had just finished laying new floorboards in the bungalow that day, and my husband had just painted the house the week before.
“We are lucky my son wasn’t in there … he had come inside to get something to eat.
“The main thing is that no-one was hurt.
“Possessions can be replaced but lives can’t.”
Ms Davis said the cause of the fire seemed to be a brand new rechargeable battery pack, which her son had not long put batteries in.
“The recharger overheated and it was in between two couches, so it just went up so quickly,” she said.
“There needs to be a warning to others about these.”
Fire investigator Adrian Devenish said the CFA was still investigating the exact cause of the fire, but at this stage it appeared to be the battery recharger.
“It’s not conclusive yet, but it’s a timely reminder to warn people about them,” he said.
“It’s not too common, but overcharging faulty lithium batteries can result in them catching fire.
“If you do recharge batteries, you need to supervise them periodically.
“Make sure you also charge them away from combustible materials, possibly on the garage floor or garage bench away from anything that could easily catch fire.”
Ms Davis said she wanted to thank the CFA, police, ambulance and her neighbours who had all been so supportive.
The family is currently living on mattresses at a family member’s house until the insurance company assesses the damage.
