![Anita and Corey Brown escaped their burning Cudgewa home on the Murray Valley Highway about 12.30am on Wednesday. Picture supplied Anita and Corey Brown escaped their burning Cudgewa home on the Murray Valley Highway about 12.30am on Wednesday. Picture supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/u2TKvX7hYXGMrKgrD4ZiFN/1c214086-90ab-4428-b81b-a1747a37ef2a.jpg/r0_100_2048_1251_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
A Cudgewa mother and her son have escaped their burning home after a wood heater sparked a blaze, with firefighters noting a smoke alarm saved their lives.
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Firefighters were called to the Murray Valley Highway house about 12.30am on Wednesday, June 26.
Investigators believe the mother had stoked the heater during the night and smouldering coals likely fell into a gap in the home's floorboards.
Anita Brown and her adult son, Corey, managed to evacuate and saved their pets.
The weatherboard house was gutted during the incident.
Police have confirmed the fire is not suspicious.
The mother and son are in emergency accommodation provided by Towong Shire staff.
The town's football club is also running a raffle in support of the family.
Tickets will be sold at the Cudgewa Hotel on Friday night to assist.
CFA captain Paul Carkeek, who was the first on the scene of the blaze, said all profits would go to the family.
"Every little bit will help," he said.
"I'd imagine they're still in a fair bit of shock.
"The football club usually runs a general raffle and it will all be going to Anita.
"The footy club is also holding onto their cattle - they lost power to the property so they don't have access to water pumps."
Much of the home collapsed during Wednesday morning's blaze.
"It was fully involved on arrival, it was fairly intense," Mr Carkeek said.
"Water was our main problem.
"We had to ferry water from Cudgewa back to the site, probably six kilometres out of town.
"We had six tankers on the scene."
Mr Carkeek was unsure how much money would be raised but said there appeared to be strong support.
"There's been some pretty good feedback," he said.