Numerous CFA crews from surrounding brigades helped fight a fire that ripped through a Kyneton homestead belonging to television identity Tonia Todman on Monday morning.
Guests staying at Ms Todman’s 160-year-old bluestone and timber property “Highbank” reported the fire in the stables converted into bed and breakfast accommodation.
The three guests evacuated and alerted the owners, who were asleep in the main house.
CFA RDO Chris Jacobsen said there were working smoke alarms in the building but because they were situated below where the fire started in the flue, they had not activated before guests noticed the fire.
Firefighters from 11 CFA brigades - Bendigo, Carlsruhe, Coliban, Golden Square, Kyneton, Langley-Barfold, Malmsbury, Spring Hill, Taradale, Tylden and Woodend - battled the fire, which spread in strong winds from the bed and breakfast to the main building.
Reported at 6.46am, the fire was brought under control by 7.26 but it wasn’t declared safe for several hours as firefighters had to painstakingly remove one of five layers of the roof at a time to reach burning material.
When parts of the roof caved in, a firefighter was struck on the shoulder by debris. However, suffering only a minor injury, he was assessed at the scene and returned to firefighting.
No one else was injured in the fire, but it left the homestead heavily damaged.
Further reading: Factory fire in Melton
Further reading: HAZMAT incident at Deakin University