Christie Downs fire destroys home, rescued husky remains in care

A FAMILY pet dog remained under intensive care after firefighters rescued it from a fierce blaze that destroyed a Christie Downs home.

The fire, on Elizabeth Rd, ignited just before 5am and woke residents when loud bangs sounded off.

Daniella Benzi said she peered through the hallway door and saw that the “lounge room was engulfed”.

“I just saw smoke and yelled for my kids to get up and get out,” she said.

As the family of four escaped through the rear of the home, their five-year-old husky BJ was nowhere to be seen.

Fire crews arrived soon after and stormed the house, finding the dog unconscious under a bed.

The husky was given oxygen and rushed to the Adelaide Animal Emergency & Referral Centre at Kurralta Park.

Jacinta Howse, 18, said her father smashed a window and called out to the dog but BJ would not budge.

“(BJ) must have thought it was the safest room in the house when there was no way out, but he was in a burning room,” she said.

“His fur was white but he came out (of the house) black.”

The Husky needs to recover from respiratory issues after inhaling too much smoke and soot.

The family has pet insurance but vet bills are set to soar as BJ needs to be monitored for 48 hours.

Fire Cause Investigator Marty Miller said charging batteries were the likely cause of the blaze.

“The family is extremely lucky, lucky they were alerted by a banging noise,” he said.

“It could have been the power surging, it had tripped out, or could’ve been an explosion from the battery mechanisms.

“We understand there was a smoke alarm in the house but whether it was functioning properly or was located properly we’re not quite sure.”

Damage is estimated at $170,000.

Ms Benzi said her family would now band together to pull through.

“So far our beds seem okay and hopefully our clothes in our cupboards, but that’s about it,” she said.

“Everything else is gone. (The fire) was really quick.”

The Advertiser understands the family is not insured and rent the home.

Donations to help with BJ’s vet bills and help the family can be sent to this GoFundMe site.

After the Christie Downs fire, at about 7.30am, crews rushed to a commercial business on Saltfleet St, Port Noarlunga, following reports of smoke.

Eight firefighters forced entry through the rear of the property and saw flames coming from inside.

A large pot of food had been left simmering on a cooker overnight.

A fire blanket was used to extinguish the threat. Damage was minimal.