Family devastated after fire destroys near-ready Porter Davis home
A near-complete Porter Davis home has been destroyed by a fire in Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs.
Police are treating the cause of the fire as suspicious after it broke out in Clyde on Monday afternoon.
A house built by Porter Davis has been gutted by a fire in Clyde.Credit:Joe Armao
The devastated Porter Davis homeowners, who did not want to be identified, arrived at the scene as their home was well alight. It was due to be completed next month.
“I just came back from picking up my little one from school,” said the mum of three. “I was shivering.”
The homeowners said they were also fearful after the incident. “I’m personally feeling scared that I went to the site with my car,” she said.
Seven firefighter trucks from Clyde and Pakenham responded to the house fire at about 4.23pm on Monday and were able to control the blaze within 30 minutes.
The family paid their lock-up fee the day before Porter Davis went into liquidation.Credit:Joe Armao
“When we arrived, the firefighters were there … we could only see smoke and that the roof was collapsed,” she said. “I didn’t even want to look.”
The family, who own another home, must now pay off two mortgages, saying the financial burden is crippling.
“Every moment, we are crying,” the homeowner said. “We are absolutely frozen, we don’t know what to do.”
The couple with three small children purchased a land-and-home package from Porter Davis in September, paying their lock-up fee of $95,000 the day before the company went into liquidation.
Firefighters battled the blaze for 30 minutes.
“I don’t know how liquidators can help with this,” she said. “All of our money is in the house, we don’t know what to do.”
A neighbour who owns a Porter Davis home next door said he couldn’t sleep after witnessing the fire and is looking to get security cameras to protect his property.
“All the three houses in a row are with Porter Davis,” he said. “I was so worried that it could be my house on fire, or it could catch to the next house.”
“I have to find some security cameras so at least it gives some kind of peace,” he said.
The neighbour said he heard about property damage from other Porter Davis customers.
“Already it is happening all over the place,” he said. “We never expected a fire scenario,” he said.
More to come.
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