When a mother-of-four saw the house she had made a home burning to the ground she screamed "No, please".
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On Friday, residents of Junee saw black smoke line the sky as a property on Thomas Street was engulfed by flames. Sarah Carlin had been renting the property, living there with three of her four children and her partner, Ben Percival.
"I was out in the back part of my house and I heard what I thought sounded like a possum or a rat in the roof because there were these scratching noises," she said.
"I yelled out asking what it was and Ben, the kids' dad, had a look."
Ms Carlin said the back lounge room had a blanket covering its entry as it was barely used due to how hot it got in summer.
"Ben turned around and he pulled the sheet down and all the black smoke flew out," she said.
"He started yelling 'Fire, get out now' and I got up to have a look and I could see the poof from the lounge was bright orange and black smoke was billowing.
"Ben ran out the front to try and get water, and I went straight to the kitchen sink and started to try and fill pots and pans."
Ms Carlin said it seemed as though there was no water pressure so the pots didn't fill and the hose out the back was so old it didn't work. "Ben was yelling 'Get out, get out' because by that point it was just too far gone," she said.
Ms Carlin said she doesn't remember how long it took for emergency services to arrive, she just knew it felt like forever.
"You just couldn't stand anywhere around that block because the air was black and the wind just took the smoke," she said.
Mr Percival suffered burns to his hands and his hair was singed as a result of trying to put out the blaze.
A Rural Fire Service spokesperson said two trucks were called to assist Fire and Rescue NSW at 12pm on Friday and the fire was declared under control by 2pm. The home was knocked down due to safety concerns it could fall on the house next door. Ms Carlin said from her understanding, the fire may have been caused by an old gas heater.
While they lost most of their possessions, Ms Carlin said she can't help but tear up when she thinks of the items that held dear memories.
"I have lost my birth videos," she said. "The keepsakes, my granddad's watch and my nan's rings and they are things that you can't get back.
"I have postcards from nan and pop that they wrote to each other in the war and I can never get them back."
Every day, Ms Carlin and her children will remember another item they will need to replace. "We do our best and we have had so many things happen," she said.
Earlier in the year, Ms Carlin's car was stolen and in a separate incident, her partner had been in a car accident which led to the vehicle being written off.
The house was the childhood home of Sharyn Currie and Warren Charlton - the latter owns the home.
"Although it was our family home and of course there is an element of sadness and loss, both Warren and I are just so very grateful the family renting the house from Warren are all safe," Ms Currie said.
"The real tragedy is that a family has been displaced and lost everything they own. How beautiful is the community of Junee, who are rallying around the family in this time of great loss, with so many offers of assistance. Warren and I will be just fine and are very grateful to those who have reached out."
While the events of the past few days have been overwhelming, Ms Carlin said the people of Junee and surrounds supported her more than she ever imagined.
"The principal from Junee Public School took us into Wagga and got us shoes, toiletries and a couple of sets of clothes," she said.
"The next day, Nathan McGregor turns up with an Xbox for the kids and I was just so overwhelmed with gratitude.
"People I don't even know are reaching out to help me and it really gives you faith in the world."
The Crossing Motel has been a drop-off point for donations for the family and the Junee Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down page has been keeping the community updated on items that are needed.
"One man, his name was Martin, and the same thing happened to his daughter and he just knew what I needed," she said.
Ms Carlin said she wanted to thank everyone who had helped, even if it was just a supportive comment on social media.
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