University of New England resource and project officer, Nick Sanders had been desperately trying to contact his mother Judy Scrivener and brother Michael Sanders after hearing the news.

“Initially my step dad contacted me … and then we went straight online where we found your story before the live interview went up,” he said.

“Earl [the local firefighter] said that they have located the mobile phone … apparently the service is also really bad but I know they are doing alright now which is the main thing.”

Judy, who is a high profile New England animal rights activist, awoke in the early hours of the morning to find her rescue dog, Buddy, alerting her of the fire, which had already engulfed most of the Red Range home.

“I was asleep in bed and Buddy, a rescue dog, jumped on the bed and licked my face and woke me,” Judy said.

The former Inverell solicitor picked up Buddy through her New England rescue dog service called Dogs Without Borders.

“As soon as I woke up I could smell smoke … I jumped into action and it happened in a blur,” she said.

“I grabbed my son who is almost blind and put him out in our vehicle and took the dogs out.”

Judy lost her phone in the process and had to call on her neighbours to contact fire crews.

Local crews fought the fire for two hours following the alert at around 2am on Friday morning.

“It was totally burnt out inside and the family has totally lost everything,” Glen Innes Fire Brigade Captain Earl Sharman said.

NSW Northern Tablelands RFS manager Christopher Walbridge said Red Range Brigade, NSW Fire Rescue and Glen Innes Rural Fire Service responded. 

“The structure was completely destroyed,” he said.

“At this stage the blaze is still under investigation.”

Donations such as clothes and household items are being accepted at the Glen Innes and District Community Centre to help Judy and her son get back on their feet this Christmas.