Real Estate Agent Makes Horrible Mistake And Burns Down Multimillion-Dollar Home Right Before Her Open House

A real estate agent's small oversight led to a massive fire that completely destroyed a multi-million dollar home she was in the process of selling.

Julie Bundock, an estate agent, was handling the sale of a lavish property located in a Sydney suburb around May 2019.

During one of her visits, she noticed that the current tenants had left several bedsheets out to dry on the deck of the house.

Without a second thought, Bundock collected the sheets and decided to place them on a shelf downstairs.

Australian real estate agent Julie Bundock accidentally started a fire in a multi-million dollar house while preparing it for an open house. Credit: LinkedIn

Unbeknownst to her, this shelf was situated directly beneath an electric light, which she then turned on, not realizing the potential danger.

Approximately 20 minutes later, a massive fire erupted within the home.

It is believed that the combination of the heated shelf and the bed sheets, ignited by the wall-mounted light, was the catalyst for the blaze.

The property, valued at around AU $3 million (equivalent to about US $1.96 million), along with its contents, was entirely consumed by the fire.

Miraculously, no one was injured in the incident.

The house was on the market for $1.96 million at the time of the fire in 2019. Credit: Supplied

The homeowner, Peter Alan Bush, who had been preparing the house for sale, was understandably upset and decided to pursue legal action.

In court, it was revealed that Ms. Bundock had expressed her horror to Mr. Bush, reportedly saying: "Oh my God Pete, I think I have burnt down your house."

She further explained: "I had been doing some tidying up."

"I collected some sheets drying on the veranda and threw them on top of a freestanding metal shelving in the bedroom under the stairs." 

"I just threw them there Pete, right up against the light on the wall. I think that's what started the fire."

Chief Judge in Equity, Justice David Hammerschlag, concluded that Bundock had 'actively created the risk of fire and the consequent harm'. 

As a result, he ordered Bundock's employer, Domain Residential Northern Beaches, to compensate Mr. Bush with AU $740,642 and also awarded a total of $121,475 to the tenants Elise Coulter, Reggie Songaila, Lauren Coulter, and Ella Eagle.

The Sydney house and all of its contents were destroyed in the blaze. Credit: Supplied

In delivering his judgment, Justice Hammerschlag remarked: "That a fire might be caused by putting or throwing bedding up against a burning light is obvious."

"That risk was plainly foreseeable, and Bundock ought to have known this."

He also noted that Ms. Bundock had been an 'aggressive and uncooperative witness' during the proceedings, suggesting:

"Her evidence was clearly coloured by a heightened awareness that she had caused the catastrophe."

Domain Residential Northern Beaches attempted to deflect some of the blame onto Mr. Bush and the tenants, arguing that they should have informed the agency about the risk of the shelf heating up due to the light. 

However, Judge Hammerschlag dismissed this argument, siding with Mr. Bush and the tenants in the matter.