October 2009

A huge plume of black smoke billows into the air

Fierce flames take hold within seconds

Dream trip ends in disaster as petrol fumes turn family's caravan rig into fireball

By DENNIS AMOR

A SYDNEY father has told how his family's dream trip round Australia ended in disaster when their caravan and 4WD erupted in a fireball at a Northern Territory caravan park.

Talking exclusively to Caravanning News, IT consultant Scott Granelli said it all happened within minutes as he prepared to refuel a generator at the Banka Banka Station caravan park, 110km north of Tennant Creek on the Stuart Highway.

He was attempting to remove a metal army-style jerry can from his caravan's drawbar but had difficulty because the warm fuel had expanded.

"I was trying to depressurise the container to get it out of the holder and take it round to fill up the generator at the side of the car," he explained.  "Within a quarter of a second of opening the jerry can there was a flash and we were engulfed in flames. The fuel container turned into something like a flame thrower, with flames shooting out of the nozzle."

It is believed the pilot light on a small portable fridge between the caravan and 4WD ignited the fumes.

"There was no way I could stop the flames," 35-year-old Mr Granelli said. "I grabbed a fire extinguisher, but the fire just laughed at it. Other people used their extinguishers but they had zero affect so I told my wife to grab the kids and run."

Mr Granelli and wife Silvia (30) received hospital treatment for burns, but their two children Luca (3) and Jasper (1) were unharmed.

The 2005 Windsor Rapid expanda caravan and early series Toyota Landcruiser 80 series factory turbo 4WD were reduced to a mass of charred wood and twisted metal within minutes. "There was nothing anyone could do to save them," Mr Granelli said.

He praised people for all their help after the devastating blaze. "The emergency services and everyone else were amazing to us," Mr Granelli, who was later transferred to Alice Spring Hospital, said.

"A nurse from Tennant Creek Hospital even drove my wife and children to Alice Springs ... a 12-hour return trip for him. The sheer generosity of people was simply amazing ... I was blown away."

Tennant Creek Police, Fire and Rescue officers, medical staff from Bootu Creek Mine and clinic staff attended the scene of the fire.

The family had sold its home in Sydney and completed two months of its planned year-long trip round Australia.

"We are homeless at the moment," Mr Granelli said. "But it hasn't put us off caravanning in the long term, though we have been put off those expandas and caravans with canvas sides. The speed at which canvas burns is absolutely mind boggling."

He said his Windsor Rapid expanda was an excellent and functional family caravan but "just burns a little too well for my tastes in the future".

 Associated story:  Inferno prompts closer look at fire safety in parks

Flames consume the caravan and 4WD	All that remained of the rig