A Caroline Springs family of five is anticipating a “sad” Christmas after their uninsured home was extensively damaged by fire on 5 November.
The Juhas family was left with just the clothes on their backs after towels left in a clothes dryer sparked the devastating blaze.
In a television interview Eric and Santina Juhas said their home insurance had lapsed while they searched for a better deal.
“It’s a nightmare,” said Santina Juhas.
She and Eric were at work and their three children were at school when the blaze broke out.
Mr Juhas told Channel 7 that his “heart dropped” when he arrived home to find emergency vehicles and firefighters in his street tackling the blaze.
“I thought ‘I can’t believe this is happening to us’,” he said.
“The whole place is gutted,” added Santina Juhas.
“We’ve lost everything. We’re only left with the clothes on our back. This is our first home and it was going to be our forever home.”
She said her children had “grown up here since babies and they’ve lost everything. It’s killing me. People leave the dryer on all the time, who would have thought?”
Two gofundme appeals have been set up to help the family.
Eric’s brother John Juhas set up an appeal which as of Monday had raised $18,723, including one donation of $10,000.
“Eric and Santina want the best for their three children and for this to happen right before Christmas is unbelievably unfortunate to say the least,” wrote John Juhas on the gofundme page.
A second gofundme set up by Eric and Santina themselves had raised $7,278 as of Monday.
On his Facebook page, Melton councillor Steven Abboushi encouraged the community to help the Juhas family rebuild their lives, saying “every bit of help counts, whether it’s donating, sharing the link, or simply keeping the family in your prayers.”
“If you are able, even the smallest contribution will go a long way in supporting them during this incredibly difficult time.”
Neighbour Philip Stanford said the neighbourhood would rally behind the family and hoped the wider Caroline Springs community would do the same.
