'Devastated' Broadview homeowner told 'Your house is on fire' while enjoying New Year's Eve party
An Adelaide man who heard his house was on fire while he was enjoying new year's celebrations says he is "devastated" by the loss, and is still struggling to come to terms with it.
The fire in the house on Hampstead Road at Broadview in Adelaide's inner north-east caused an estimated $300,000 damage, but it is not known what started the blaze.
The Metropolitan Fire Service (MFS) was called to the property just after midnight and firefighters found it well alight.
No-one was home at the time.
The owner, Rob, said the property had been in his family for a "long period of time". But he was philosophical about the loss.
One of my friends invited me around to his house for New Year's Eve celebrations with his kids and I got a phone call from one of the neighbours to say 'do you realise your house is on fire Rob?'
"I was looking forward to just a little bit of time off and one of my friends invited me around to his house for New Year's Eve celebrations with his kids and I got a phone call from one of the neighbours to say 'do you realise your house is on fire Rob?'" he said.
"You don't know what to say ... I guess it takes a while for something to hit home.
"It had a lot of character to it, that house."
Rob, who did not want his surname to be published, said he had put a lot of effort into renovating the property in the 1980s.
The MFS said fire cause investigators were unable to safely enter the ruins to determine what started the blaze.
The house was being used to store items, including bicycles, for charity.
"We've sent them all over Africa, Uganda, up to the APY Lands," Rob said.
"I've made lots of friends from the volunteering and the thing is there's a lot of needy people in this world."