‘You see the best and worst of humanity’: Mooroopna home looted after fire

By Nicola Ceccato

Mar 28, 2022

Siblings who escaped a house fire have been dealt another blow with looters targeting the property and taking what little of value they had left.

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The Graeme St, Mooroopna, home was damaged by fire on March 22 after the back shed caught fire and spread to the home.

The home belongs to siblings Suzanne Braakman and Garry Elphick, who managed to escape the fire.

Ms Braakman was in the home with her two dogs when the fire erupted and found herself trapped, with the only entrance to the apartment blocked with fire and smoke.

“It was quarter to eight in the morning and I could hear Garry outside screaming my name to throw down the keys,” Ms Braakman said.

“I thought he hurt himself and I went and chucked my car keys down and that’s when I saw the shed on fire.

“I could see my room was massively alight and people started screaming at me to get out, but I couldn’t get out. I thought I was going to die.”

However, tradie Dustyn McKenna was passing by and was able to save Ms Braakman and her two dogs.

“This man saw that no-one was helping me and he pulled his ute to the side of the deck and someone got a ladder and put it in his ute and leaned it against the fence to help me down and I said, take the dogs first,” Ms Braakman said.

“I’m only short and I use a cane, so it’s hard to get over the deck but I got over the deck and he pulled me down and I gave him the biggest hug, like oh my god.”

Mr Elphick who initially attempted to put the fire out with his garden hose and save his sister’s car, suffered severe burns from his right wrist to neck, the top of his back, his stomach and left shoulder.

He was hospitalised at the burns unit at The Alfred hospital in Melbourne for four days and was released on Friday night.

Unfortunate accident: Garry Elphick (pictured) suffered burns to 15 per cent of his body after trying to fight off the fire and save his sister’s car. Photo by Suzanne Braakman

Mr Elphick went back to the home on the weekend to see what was left of the property, only to discover it had been looted after the fire.

“My brother noticed the door downstairs was wide open and he went upstairs to find his Star Wars memorabilia, which was thousands of dollars’ worth, had been stolen, as well as the TV and DVD player and the safe that had our passports and my jewellery in it,” Ms Braakman said.

“Garry was in the army reserve and his army medal was also stolen.

“There wasn’t much we could salvage but anything there was, we can’t anymore.”

According to Mooroopna police, the fire was deemed non-suspicious and was started by an electrical fault in a powerboard.

Due to everything being lost in the fire, Ms Braakman’s daughter Lauren Elphick has started a GoFundMe page for her mother and uncle, asking people to lend a hand and donate money to go towards clothing, food, accommodation and basic essentials.

If you’re interested in donating and helping Ms Braakman and Mr Elphick out, find the page ‘Helping Suzanne and Garry after a house fire’ on GoFundMe.