A tourist and his dog had anything but a pleasant drive south on Sunday night when their motorhome caught fire on the Hume Freeway at Barnawartha.
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The Ballarat man was heading south at about 9.45pm when a fire started in the back of the vehicle.
Barnawartha Fire Brigade captain Howard Smith said the flames moved forward and took over the motorhome.
“When we got there it was fully engulfed, the owner and his dog had already got out,” he said.
“The problem we had was that there was a 160-litre gas tank inside.”
Wodonga and Wodonga West fire brigades were also on scene and members used breathing apparatus to control the fire within 20 minutes before the gas tank exploded.
The Hume Freeway was closed for a short time then reduced to one lane while emergency services were on scene.
Mr Smith said he did not know the exact cause, but suspected it was a fuel leak in the back of the vehicle.
He said the Ballarat man and his dog were able to ride home in the tow truck with the destroyed motorhome.
*This story first appeared on The Border Mail
