Fire crews save dairy and home

The Patel family came within just a few feet of losing both their business and their home when a fire broke out at their Stoke dairy.

It was just before midday on Friday when Amkit Patel heard the alarm go off in the storage room and then saw the flames.

He and wife Jimal quickly got their children and evacuated the premises.

What followed was an agonising five-minute wait for the fire crews to arrive.

“It was very scary, we were worried because of the three big gas bottles which are right next to our bedroom,” says Jimal.

Thankfully, the Stoke Volunteer Fire Brigade was able to extinguish the blaze before it reached the gas bottles and potentially caused an explosion.

“We were incredibly relieved,” says Amkit.

Chief fire officer of Stoke Volunteer Fire Brigade, Lance Williams, says the fire was quickly extinguished; a good effort on his crew’s part and also from the Patel’s for evacuating and not going back in.

“It was a rather unique fire in that it had all the businesses surrounding it, so there was potential for spread,” Lance says.

He says the internal fire walls did their job and contained the fire to one area.

Lance says the fire was thought to be started by cooking in the back room, but this is not yet confirmed.

“It’s looked to have ignited the back wall which was close to LPG.”

The Stoke Discounter Dairy is in close proximity to several business however all managed to escape any damage.

The Patels weren’t as lucky, however.

The shop has suffered smoke and water damage while the storage room was destroyed with the Patels still calculating the cost.

As a number of their products are imported from India, their storage room was full of spices, meats, and oils which were all destroyed.

“We need to stock up because it does not come regularly.”

There have also been lingering psychological effects for the family.

The Patels live in a house behind the dairy and have not slept since.

“Every time I close my eyes I see the fire,” Jimal says.

They say many customers and locals have visited to check in on the family.

“Everyone has been very supportive; we are just trying to go back to normal.”

The Patel's do have insurance but are awaiting a report as the cause of the fire is still being investigated.