UPDATE, Tuesday, 8.30am: Police have determined the cause of a Terang house fire on Monday was not suspicious after the damaged home was examined by a Country Fire Authority investigator.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Detective Senior Constable Derek Verity, of the Warrnambool police crime investigation unit, said it was an older home and a mother was at their Thomson Street home with two children at the time the fire started about 3pm.
"She heard a noise but thought nothing of it, went up to the front of the house to put washing away and has found the fire in a kid's bedroom," he said.
"She has attempted to put it out, unsuccessful. She then realised it was too big and got the kids and dog and got out of there.
"It was a smart move."
Detective Senior Constable Verity said the cause of the fire was not suspicious and was thought to have been sparked by an electrical fault.
"They're a really nice family. They were getting ready for a holiday and now this has happened," he said.
"You have to feel sorry for them," he said.
Yesterday: A mother and her four children are lucky to be alive after escaping from a house fire at Terang on Monday.
Terang police Sergeant Danny Brown said emergency services were called to the blaze at a Thomson Street property about 3pm.
"The family-owned house was fully engulfed in fire," he said.
"A mother and her four children escaped without injury. The mum was very brave, she saw the fire and grabbed the kids and took off straight away.
"It is still early stages but at this stage the fire is not being treated as suspicious."
Members from the Warrnambool police crime investigation unit have arrived at the scene.
The house fire has halted V/Line services to and from Warrnambool as the property is located near the Terang rail lines.
A V/Line spokesman said the 1.05pm service from Southern Cross to Warrnambool will terminate at Camperdown Station and replacement road coaches will take customers to Terang, Sherwood Park and Warrnambool.
The 5.43pm service from Warrnambool to Southern Cross will be replaced by coaches for the entire journey and the scheduled 6.32pm train from Camperdown to Southern Cross will still run.
Sergeant Brown said the incident was a timely reminder for people to ensure they have an appropriate fire plan.
"People will be pulling their Christmas lights and other appliances out of the garage so now is the time to make sure they all work properly and are not a danger," he said.
Have you signed up to The Standard's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in the south-west.
