Koolewong house built with new standard survives blaze
A month ago, Steve Foskett gave his neighbors the keys to their new home.
Foskett, a builder and resident of the Central Coast suburb of Koolewong, has built a row of homes on Nimbin Road, which was devastated by a bushfire that broke out of control late on Saturday.
At least 12 homes, some built by Foskett, were destroyed by the blaze, which burned 120 hectares and was still active on Sunday despite a cool change overnight.
While houses on the block around him were demolished, Foskett’s latest project survived the inferno that ravaged the suburb thanks to Bushfire Attack Standard 29.
Standard 29, part of the state’s stringent building requirements governing residential homes, governs homes in fire-prone areas. It requires homes to have walls made of non-combustible materials such as concrete or brick, ember shields on roofs, toughened glass and metal mesh screens on windows.
“I was pretty pleased,” Foskett said. reporter At the fire scene Sunday morning.
“I built that house four weeks ago to new fire standards, and it was the only house that survived.”
Foskett said his neighbors were “pretty happy” when he called to say their house had survived.
Homeowners Mike and Katie Greene fled with their children before the fire reached their street Saturday afternoon.
“It’s such a lovely local community, just heartbreaking,” Katie said. “The bush was extremely dry, it was very hot and very windy… and the firefighters – amazing, amazing,” he said. reporter.
As the fire moved toward his street Saturday afternoon, Foskett stayed behind with his nephews to defend his home. He was also standing.
“Yes,” he said when asked if he was glad he stayed. “Of course my house would be destroyed; nothing has burned here in 90 years.”
His 90-year-old neighbor, who has lived in the area for 70 years, said Koolewong had never experienced a forest fire before.
The neighbor’s house was also saved by Foskett.
“We created firebreaks for three houses; we scraped up all the leaf litter,” he said. “Because fire flows slowly from top to bottom. [the firebreak] “stopped it.”
Foskett said most of his neighbors fled the fire. Premier Chris Minns said on Sunday that 25 adults and two children were in emergency accommodation across the Central Coast, while most others were with family or friends.
“I’m the only person here; it’s like a ghost town,” Foskett said.
At 10 a.m. on Sunday, there were 76 fires across the state and 20 were uncontrolled.
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