The chief firefighter at the scene, Jason Harford, said it was also difficult to access a water supply. The firefighters were assisted by a local contractor who had been delivering water to a house nearby.
"The front of the house was still intact but the back of the house had pretty much burned down and the front was severely smoke-damaged."
It was a "kick in the guts" for a colleague to lose their home to fire, Harford said.
Keals said by the time he arrived at the house with his wife Lorraine Blackwell, the house was all but gone.
"I managed to get my computer out with a few photos on it, but we've lost everything. Apart from that it's basically the shoes on our feet and the clothes on our back.
It was not known what caused the fire, which appeared to have started in the kitchen.
Keals said the house and contents had previously been insured, but the insurance company had recently asked them to rewire the 1920s house before renewing their cover.
"It's a hard one to swallow," he said.
"We've had a few big property fires, shed fires, over the years but never a whole household which has displaced a family.
"It just shows it can happen to anyone, no matter who you are."
He, his wife, and their three children were living with family until they could find a permanent home.
The volunteer fire brigade is fundraising for the family. A page on crowdfunding site Givealittle has raised $13,000 so far.
