MEMORIES LOST: Rural Fire Service crews battle the fire in a shed at Zephyr Farm on Comerong Island, which contained many of Ros Christie and John Miskelly’s possessions.
DEVASTATION: Owner of the property Ros Christie talks to fire crews at the scene of Friday’s fire.
A FIRE on Comerong Island on Friday morning destroyed a garage and a host of family memories.
Emergency crews were called to Zephyr Farm just after 11.30am.
Rural Fire Service crews from Greenwell Point, Culburra, Illaroo Road and Cambewarra along with police and ambulance attended the scene, using the ferry to get to the island from the end of Comerong Island Road.
RFS crews found a shed on the property well alight and despite extinguishing the blaze many special family memories as well as stock for a business operated on the island by Ros Christie and John Miskelly were destroyed.
Ms Christie said she was upstairs in an adjoining home when she heard an explosion from the shed.
“By the time I got outside the shed was on fire,” she said.
“I rang triple-0, started fighting the fire with a garden hose, as a new pump and hose we had recently installed was right next to the shed.
“I managed to move our van which was parked right up to the shed.”
She also contacted the ferry to let them know there would be fire brigades on the way.
An ambulance was also sent to the scene and managed to get to the island before the RFS, its crew helped fight the blaze until firefighters arrived but unfortunately the shed and its contents could not be saved.
“We have only lived here since July after having travelling the world for six years,” she said.
“Unfortunately most of our possessions and John’s daughter’s stuff was stored in the garage.
“We’ve lost family photo albums and items and souvenirs we bought home from our travels.
“It’s heartbreaking.”
And in a double blow for the couple, who also run Zephyr Farm Lavender, a lot of their prepared stock stored in the shed was destroyed.
“We make 80 different products from the farm and a lot of the finished items, including stock we were due to take to Canberra this weekend, were destroyed.”
Despite the loss Ms Christie was quick to praise the RFS crews for their efforts.
“They are amazing, they do such a great job,” she said.