A Beechworth boy has been airlifted to hospital with burns following an apparent mobile phone fire that gutted a home early Tuesday morning.
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Emergency services were called to the property on Old Chiltern Road, a short distance from the Wodonga-Beechworth Road, about 1.20am.
A smoke alarm alerted the Tolley family to the blaze.
David Tolley said his son, Jack, had woken up screaming in pain while on fire.
The family were waiting on Tuesday to see how the 12-year-old was travelling after he was flown to Melbourne for treatment.
He received burns to his face, head and hands and had been placed in an induced coma to treat the burns.
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"He was asleep at the time and woke up on fire, screaming," his father said.
"The burns were so bad, they had to put him under.
"He was airlifted from Wangaratta to Melbourne, they arrived there about 5.30am and he went into theatre at 6.29am."
The property, which the family had lived in for three-and-a-half years, was gutted.
Mr Tolley said his son had only just received a new phone for his birthday on Saturday.
The device was near a beanbag.
"They think that might be the cause," he said of the fire investigators.
The home was destroyed and partially collapsed.
Jack had recently donated $20 to the CFA as part of the Good Friday Appeal.
Firefighters in nine tankers attended the home.
Beechworth CFA captain Tracy McVea said firefighting crews from the town attended with those from Stanley, Wooragee, Everton and Chiltern.
"The fire was under control within about an hour," she said.
"We were on scene for a few hours afterwards.
"The smoke alarm woke the family up, it's saved them.
"It's an important reminder in the cold weather for people to check their smoke alarms.
"If they're 10 years old, replace them."
In other emergency service news, firefighters were called to a car fire at Springdale Heights on Tuesday afternoon.
A vehicle was found burning on Shaw Street about 3.15pm.
The vehicle was destroyed in the incident.
There were no reports of any injuries.
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