Holiday makers and their insurers are counting the cost of a spectacular fire that destroyed 10 houseboats on the Murray River at Echuca-Moama this week.
Investigators suspect a faulty air-conditioner in one of the boats sparked the blaze, which quickly spread to neighbouring craft.
Soon after the fire started, just after 6pm on Thursday, 10 houseboats moored near the Deep Creek boat ramp were ablaze.
The combination of fibreglass, fuel, timber furniture and a gusty breeze made for a disastrous mix.
The damage bill is expected to be several million dollars.
Pam Morley from Echuca was among those to rush to the scene.
"We got a phone call at about 7pm, just heading out for dinner, to say: I think you best get out here, your house boat's on fire," she said.
"So we just dropped everything and ran."
But her boat was one of those saved by the quick work of onlookers, who cut it and several others free of the marina.
"I looked down and I thought, 'Oh my God, it's gone'," she said.
"But luckily with a tinnie they pulled it out into the river just as the boat next door went up.
"I think we're the luckiest boat on the river at the moment."
Investigators have started looking into how the fire started, but it seems likely it was an accident.
"It appears to be started from an air-conditioning unit, but there's going to be a thorough investigation," said Malcolm Starritt from the New South Wales Rural Fire Service.
Next comes a complicated clean-up.
"We've got bunting across the river to restrict any contamination into the Murray," Mr Starritt said.
"It will be long process of getting these boats out and making sure there's no extra damage to the environment than what's already happened."
"It will be weeks."
