'We just sat there and watched it': Man watches his own house burn to the ground as bushfires ravage the island state
- Father-of-three has captured the moment his house narrowly escaped a fire
- Neil Randle evacuated home in Glen Huon, Tasmania's south-east, on Monday
- He drove away and watched fire approach through security camera on phone
A father-of-three has captured the moment his house narrowly escaped a destructive fire.
Neil Randle was forced to evacuate the home he built when smoke quickly approached his property in Glen Huon, Tasmania's south-east coast, on Monday.
Mr Randle began to prepare for the worst as the raging fire closed in on the property.
'We had everything prepped and ready and as it got closer obviously the smoke got thicker,' he told Daily Mail Australia.
Neil Randle (picturd) was forced to evacuate the home he built when smoke quickly approached his property in Glen Huon, Tasmania's south-east coast, on Monday
'As soon as you were outside, (your eyes) were really stinging, you can't really see much.'
The father-of-three drove about 10 minutes down the road where he pulled over and was able to access phone reception to watch the terrifying blaze close in.
'I logged into my security camera and pressed record and just basically sat there and watched it,' he said.
Share this article
Mr Randle said the ordeal was 'not nice' as he was forced to question whether his hard work would be reduced to ruins as the six-metre flames approached.
'We built the houses up there, we didn't get other builders to do it. So it's your own houses built by your own hands and just watching fire get closer and closer,' he said.
'We sat there and watched it. From that you think everything's gone, you don't think anything's going to survive.'
The father-of-three drove about 10 minutes down the road where he pulled over and was able to access phone reception to watch the terrifying blaze close in (pictured)
Pictured: smoke billows from a wildfire in southern Tasmania on Tuesday
To make his worries even worse the security camera cut out due to the heat.
Mr Randle said he was able to reach his property for a couple of hours on Tuesday night and learnt the two houses were still standing.
There was damage through the property but to the family's surprise the houses escaped unharmed.
'The fire got within a foot of all the houses. It was surprising it didn't go, it was just a miracle,' he said.
Mr Randle praised his father and brother who were last to leave the home - about 10 minutes after he initially drove away.
There was damage through the property but to the families surprise the houses escaped unharmed
Pictured: A fire-fighting helicopter passes in Southern Tasmania on Tuesday
'Both houses saved thanks to the heroic efforts of my brother and father, who waited to the very last minute to leave but not before hosing all buildings down,' he wrote on Facebook.
Mr Randle stressed that the beginning of the footage did not show how dire the situation was to begin with.
'We left because we couldn't see or breathe and we had masks,' he said.
'We left five to 10 minutes before that video and it was bad enough then and yet it gets much worse in the video.'
The conditions have since moderated but Tasmania Fire Service is urging residents to remain vigilant.
Pictured: A firetruck parked on the side of the road as fire engulfs Miena, Tasmania
