Young boy dragged from burning storage container after fire sparked inside

The boy and his friends had been at the Mullinmar Billabong area at the north end of Phillipson Street in Wangaratta on Sunday.

The boys had entered a container used by landcare volunteers and a fire was sparked.

One of the youths was stuck inside, trapped by flames.

A passerby rushed over to free the boy about 7.30pm during the October 15 incident.

The boy suffered a burnt foot and smoke inhalation, but was otherwise unharmed, with the passerby credited with saving the boy's life.

The container and its contents were destroyed in the fire.

Police attended and are investigating.

A spokesman noted the injured boy had been in "extreme danger" during the fire.

The storage container is used by Wangaratta Landcare and Sustainability Inc, a volunteer group that maintains the area.

Equipment worth an estimated $6000 including two lawn mowers, a whipper snipper, petrol containers, a pump, two gazebos, five backpack weed spraying units, and a wide variety of hand tools were destroyed.

Vice president Tony Lane said a new container would cost several thousand dollars.

"It's certainly disappointing because all of it had been put together by volunteers," he said.

"We put a lot of work into refurbishing it to make it fit for purpose and it's pretty much destroyed.

"We've been restoring the billabong and making it accessible to the public for about 11 years.

"This will certainly have an impact, an immediate impact.

"At this time of year we need lawn mowers and whipper snippers for the grass areas.

"We will probably need to borrow items while the insurance is being dealt with and a longer term solution found."

Much of the equipment has been obtained through grants or donations.

"It's not a nice outcome for all of the hard work that's gone into it," Mr Lane said.

A large amount of burnt debris is strewn at the site.

Police have spoken to the youths involved.

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