A couple from the Gold Coast hinterland region have broken down after losing their home to a fierce electrical fire.
Greg and Tania Buckley woke to the sight of flames outside their bedroom window in the early hours of Saturday morning, with the fire quickly spreading through their Tamborine Mountain home.
As firefighters worked to extinguish the flames, all the Buckleys could do was watch on in horror.
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“I said to my wife, ‘Don’t look, we’re losing it’,” Mr Buckley told 9News.
The fire, believed to have sparked from inside an electrical switchboard, reached the couple’s bedroom.
In a desperate attempt to salvage what they could, Mr Buckley braved the flames to move a classic car away from the inferno.
“If we didn’t, it would have exploded the whole house,” Mrs Buckley explained.
Despite their efforts, the damage was done. The roof caved in, and heavy smoke covered every room in soot.
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“I’ve been through both earthquakes in New Zealand and the tornado here at Christmas, and man, that’s got nothing on a fire,” Mr Buckley said.
As the local community rallies around the Buckleys, the couple are trying to raise funds through a crowdfunding campaign page to assist with the immediate expenses, including securing temporary accommodation in a caravan.
“Honestly … I’ve never had to ask anyone for money in my whole life,” Mr Buckley said.
This article was produced with the assistance of 9ExPress.
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