Fireworks fury

By Melissa Grant
A NEW Year’s Eve grassfire sparked by fireworks has a Pakenham mother seeing red.
Nadine Beetham says rockets showering her house could have caused a disastrous start to 2008.
Mrs Beetham, who lives in Kelly Court, said she was forced to grab the garden hose before calling 000 as fireworks caused a grass fire near her back fence.
“I decided to wet our fence just in case the fire took hold,” Mrs Beetham said.
“The fire was growing and was around five metres from our back fence with no one in sight to help.
“Our garden hose didn’t quite reach the back fence, all I could do is point the hose as far as it could go and call 000.”
Mrs Beetham said she was angry her neighbours ignored fire bans, considering the conditions.
“There were two houses letting the fireworks off, one in Leigh Drive and the other in Jamie Court,” she said.
“It was a total fire ban and the weather was shocking. Even at midnight it was still hot and humid.
“The fireworks started and the residue that is in the rockets was showering my house, all I could think of is how hot and dry it has been and the what if.
“The irony of this is that when I called the fire brigade my daughter, a CFA volunteer, read the message that there was a fire at her address. How do you think that made her feel?”
Pakenham CFA first Lieutenant Andrew Lodge said there was little authorities could do as they were unable to establish where the rockets came from.
“The rockets that started the fire would’ve come from a distance away,” he said.
Mr Lodge warned residents that it was illegal to let off fireworks without a permit during a total fire ban.