A fiery start to the New Year

By Melissa Grant
A PAKENHAM family had a less than ideal start to 2008 with their house catching fire during the early hours of New Year’s Day.
The family was celebrating New Year’s Eve next door when the fire started.
Five CFA appliances rushed to the weatherboard house in John Street at about 1.50am and managed to contain the fire to one room.
Pakenham CFA fourth lieutenant Daniel Ingram said there was nobody at the residence when firefighters arrived.
He said a window at the residence was smashed, suggesting a passerby may have checked to see if there was anyone inside.
Mr Ingram said it was unclear how the fire started.
Later on New Year’s Day, a grass fire in Kooweerup burnt out at least eight hectares of land.
Firefighters arrived at the parcel of land, behind Sims Lane, shortly after 3pm.
CFA Cardinia Group Officer Phil Craig said 10 tankers, three units and a control van attended the fire which took about one-and-a-half hours to contain.
Mr Craig said no nearby houses were threatened by the fire.
He said the incident served as a reminder to residents to be fire ready this summer.
“It’s a reminder that even in the current conditions where there is a lot of green grass around it doesn’t take much for something to catch alight,” he said.