Family feels community support

THE future is uncertain for a Learmonth family whose home was destroyed by a housefire on Christmas morning.

Alex Catsicakis was woken just before 6.30am to what she thought were the family pets.

“I heard some noises in our loungeroom and I looked through our glass doors leading into there thinking it was the cat or dog doing something,” she said.

“I just saw smoke and fire through the glass and I ran and woke up Sean [Murray, partner] who grabbed [daughter] Victoria and we ran out and called 000.”

Mr Murray was sent back in to the house to find the family pets and said the house was completely engulfed during his search.

“The whole back of the house was on fire and I couldn’t even get close to the source of it,” he said. “I got out and it sort of looked like the house was deflating like a balloon.”

The family escaped the blaze with just their clothes and their pet dog with their cat still missing.

The fire has since been ruled as an accident.

Though their contents insurance has cleared, the status of the family’s building insurance has yet to be resolved, which Ms Catsicakis said could cost them their recently-opened Bakery Hill venture, Freda’s Cafe Restaurant Bar.

“We put our life savings into this business,” she said.

“The building insurance lapsed in November so if we can’t get the insurance on the house we’ll probably have to sell the business and our block of land to pay off that mortgage.

“We’d talked about something like this when we were in our 20s. Sean’s very much a businessman and I love to cook.”

Ms Catsicakis and Mr Murray have lived in the house since their move to the region six years ago.

Currently staying at a friend’s house in Alfredton, the family visits the remains of their house each night to check on their cat trap put in place to help find their missing feline.

The day after the incident, Ms Catsicakis set up a GoFundMe page which has raised more than $17,000

Mr Murray said the community has supported the family more than just financially.

“The police brought back presents for Victoria donated by UFS because of course they were under our tree,” he said.

“Everyone around Ballarat and Learmonth have been really good to us. I’ve got a friend who’s offered us a dining table. People have asked us to put a list of things we need to put on the restaurant window.

“It’s a good community we have here, and everyone knows everyone in Learmonth.”

Mr Murray, who has an army background, has also been put in touch with support services through veterans and families counselling organisation Open Arms.

The funds are set to be put aside for rebuilding efforts, and should the building insurance claim be passed, the family aims to develop a smaller house on the 3000-square-metre property.