Lifetime's belongings gone Fire despair

Ms Petrie arrived at the Framlingham High Street shed where she lives late Friday night to hear a crackling noise and see a glow in her back window.

As she moved closer to the shed, she knew something was wrong.

"I opened the door and there wasn't a flame, but there was lots and lots of smoke," she said. "I closed the door quickly, ran out and called triple-0."

Tankers from Framlingham, Panmure, Purnim, Wangoom, The Sisters and Warrnambool contained the fire in a short time, but took several hours to extinguish it completely.

Ms Petrie, an artist, believed a candle caused the blaze.

"I've been lighting candles for the past 20 years and have been very careful," she said. "I just can't understand how this happened."

Ms Petrie, who urged people who lit candles in the home to be extra cautious, inspected the site after the fire was extinguished - an experience she described as emotional.

"I have nothing left," she said.

"Forty-eight years of my life - my paintings, my drawings, my letters, my diaries, my photographs - they're all gone."

Ms Petrie, who urged people to be grateful for what they had, is now searching for accommodation after staying with friends and family for the past few nights.

She said she appreciated the CFA's efforts and was grateful to a Warrnambool businessman who gave her a donation after hearing about what happened.

Framlingham CFA First Lieutenant Anne McGuiness said because the building was cluttered it was difficult to put out the blaze.

"It's very lucky it wasn't a hot night or it would have been a big issue," she said.