Submitted by daniel on Sun, 11/01/2026 - 07:02 Picture Image Description A young Carranballac family is homeless and the farmhouse they have lovingly restored over the past five years has been destroyed, one of hundreds of heartbreaking stories from Friday's bushfires across the state. Subscribe now for unlimited access. or signup to continue reading Holiday Offer All articles from our website & app The digital version of Today's Paper Crosswords, Sudoku and Trivia All other in your area Jenna Breen and Zach Harbour, and their two sons Hendrix, five and River two, lost almost everything in Friday's firestorm, which destroyed more than 20,000 hectares of bush and grassland between Streatham and Skipton, south-west of Ballarat. The home has been gutted. Picture supplied The family escaped with just a few possessions, which they had packed into their car earlier in the day, as the fire hit in mere minutes after warnings were issued. "We were just sitting outside monitoring the conditions; obviously it was extremely blowy, I don't think I've ever seen it that windy at our house before," Ms Breen said. "My partner and I were outside watching and it just came out of nowhere. We had the radio scanner on and we heard there was a potential grass fire near Streatham. "By the time we heard about it on the radio, we could already see the smoke barreling towards us. The remains of Jenna and Zach's farmhouse in Carranballac. Picture supplied "We just quickly got in the car, put the kids in the car and just took off." The family's property was the closest to the Carranballac Cricket Club rooms, which were also razed in the fire. While the family escaped with a few possessions they had packed in the car in the morning, Ms Breen said there was still a feeling of what if, had they prepared even more. "I packed the car in the morning as a precaution, not thinking we'd be affected," she said. Jenna Breen and Zach Harbour with their children Hendrix and River in their garden at their home in Carranballac. Picture supplied "We just sped off and stayed at the end of the road just watching the fire hit our house. I'm sure that from where the fire started to when it got to our house, it would have only been 30 minutes or so at most. "I've never experienced wind like that. We were losing trees on our property even before the fire started. "The most heartbreaking thing was when we went back to look at the property, I've never seen my son that upset before in his entire life. "We had two baby goslings, and we've lost our two sheep as well. We just took off so fast, we forgot to unlock the gate to let them out. There was just no way we could have defended our place, absolutely nothing we could have done." Twisted scrap metal is all that remains of the family home. Picture supplied A GoFundMe has been launched to help the family get back on its feet, which has so far raised more than $20,000. "Our place is unrecognisable - we had two acres of garden, orchards, we'd just finished doing the greenhouse - the only thing still standing is the greenhouse, although that's burned out. There is nothing on the property that is salvageable. Daily Your morning news Today's top stories curated by our news team. Weekdays The lunch break Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. Weekdays The evening wrap Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. Weekly Subscriber Only Note from the Editor Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. Weekly What's On Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. Weekly Subscriber Only FootyHQ Love footy? We've got all the action covered. Twice weekly The Senior Stay in the know on news that matters to you with twice weekly newsletters from The Senior. Weekly Sport The latest news, results & expert analysis. Weekly Explore Travel Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. Weekdays The Echidna Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. Twice weekly The Informer Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. Twice weekly Voice of Real Australia Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. Weekly Motoring Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarGuide, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. As it happens Breaking news alert Be the first to know when news breaks. Daily Today's Paper Alert Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! Daily Subscriber Only Your favourite puzzles Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily! Advertisement Ad Advertisement Ad Web Link 'Nothing we could have done': how do you tell a two-year-old his home is destro… The Courier | Ballarat, VIC