A month ago, Steve Foskett handed his neighbours the keys to their new home.
A builder and resident of the Central Coast’s Koolewong, Foskett built a number of homes on the suburb’s Nimbin Road which was ravaged by an out-of-control bushfire on Saturday night.
Steve Foskett and his dog Cali, who “didn’t do any helping” while they defended his home.Credit: Sitthixay Ditthavong
At least 12 homes – some of which were built by Foskett – were destroyed by the fire, which was still burning on Sunday despite the cool change that came through overnight.
While homes in the block around it was destroyed, Foskett’s latest project survived the inferno that tore through the suburb thanks, he said, to Bushfire standard 29.
Part of the state’s strict building requirements that govern residential homes, Bushfire standard 29 governs homes in areas prone to fire. It requires homes to have walls made of non-combustible materials like concrete or bricks, ember shields on roofs, toughened glass in windows and metal mesh screens.
A car destroyed by the fire in a garage built by Steve FoskettCredit: Sitthixay Ditthavong
“I was pretty pleased,” said Foskett, speaking to the Herald on the fireground on Sunday morning.
“I built that house four weeks ago to the new fire standards and it was the only one that survived.”
Foskett said his neighbours were “pretty happy” when he called to say their home had survived.