A South Australian family of seven were lucky to escape their burning home alive when one of their children sparked a fire while playing with a barbecue lighter.
The rental house in Swanport near Murray Bridge erupted in flames on Tuesday evening.
WATCH VIDEO ABOVE: Child playing with BBQ lighter sparks massive blaze, destroying family home
Watch the latest news and stream for free on 7plus >>
Neighbours called emergency services as a mother and her five children rushed outside.
One witness said the younger children were crying hysterically when the family made it to safety.
“There were flames bellowing out of the windows, coming out the roof. (It was) a solid stone home that was demolished in minutes. It was just horrendous” neighbour Richard Bailey said.
The home was completed gutted, and an online fundraiser has been created for the family who were reportedly uninsured and now facing homelessness.
The fundraiser organiser said the incident happened while the family were celebrating the sixth birthday of their twins.
Fire investigators are yet to determine the official cause of the fire, but the father told 7NEWS he believes the blaze started when their four-year-old son was playing with a barbecue lighter.
He said his wife intervened and tried to extinguish the fire with a hose, but it quickly spread.
The South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service estimated the damage at more than $300,000.
