Fire destroys home in Ferndale
A faulty downlight is being blamed for a fire which gutted the front bedroom of a Ferndale home this afternoon.
Firefighters were called to the Metcalfe Road property just before 1pm.
Neighbour Caroline Moore called triple zero after seeing flames and smoke next door.
Ms Moore and roommate Elizabeth Baca helped their neighbour round up his three dogs before firefighters arrived.
It is understood the man was asleep in a back room when the fire started and was woken by a smoke detector. He was the only person home at the time.
Maddington Fire Station officer Mick Gillham said the fire appeared to have started in the roof.
"The most likely cause was an overheated downlight," he said. "Apparently there had been problems with the same light before."
The blaze was contained to the front room but a majority of the home sustained smoke damage.
The initial damage bill was estimated to be $200,000.
