00:00At quarter past twelve this morning, Fire Rescue in New South Wales responded, five fire trucks and 20 firefighters to reports of this single level home on fire.
00:08At that time of the night, we always anticipate someone will be in the property. It is night time, people are asleep, generally.
00:17When our firefighters arrived a short time later, they were confronted with that heavy fire activity out at the front of this home.
00:23The neighbours were applying some water from a garden hose, you know, making a little impact but not enough to quell or contain that fire.
00:31And the neighbours actually reported to me just then how the fire was up in that roof cavity and spreading. It was extremely intense.
00:39Firefighters got in, they started knocking down the fire, they were confronted by really thick, zero visibility as they moved through the home to conduct that search.
00:49The second crew came in, while the first crew made it easier for them to get in or a little bit safer by knocking down that fire.
00:57That first crew continued on with the search of the property, the second crew arrived and got complete fire extinguishment.
01:04As they moved through the home, towards the rear, they got to the back door and located a person, a lady, who was unconscious, lying on the floor at the closed back door.
01:15They took her out of the back door, they picked her up, dragged her out, put her on the rear yard.
01:21Another team of firefighters moved in with oxygen.
01:24We carry oxygen on our trucks because smoke is what the biggest killer is in the first event of a fire.
01:30All the smoke is full of all sorts of toxic products, but including predominantly carbon monoxide, which is fatal very early on in the fire.
01:39This lady was unconscious, they pulled her out, they got that oxygen onto her, the ambulance paramedics arrived a short time later, continued that treatment and have transported to hospital for that further treatment.
01:53It took about an hour to get this fire completely extinguished and make sure that there was no fire activity up in the roof space.
01:58Then investigations commenced.
02:01So investigations commenced and we're satisfied that the fire has started in a front bedroom.
02:08And the cause is it's either a heater that was faulty or a heater that was just too close to flammable materials.
02:15We are approaching winter.
02:17We do see a lot more fires in your home at winter.
02:20You're using different devices, heaters, electric blankets, different types of cooking, wheat bags.
02:26We can overlaid power boards.
02:29So we are reminding people, just be careful out there.
02:32This home, we're not too sure if a working smoke alarm fitted.
02:35Something has woken this lady up to get her up and to the back door.
02:40But as you can see, the smoke got to her and she collapsed at the back door.
02:45It was only a matter of minutes, if that, until we would be talking about an absolute tragedy here this morning.
02:52But fortunately, the early intervention occurred.
02:54And so going on with the fire, looking like the cause of the fire is a faulty heater or heated too close to flammable materials such as a cupboard or bedding or a lounge.
03:05We need to talk to the occupant to get that further information.
03:10It is a reminder to everyone.
03:12And you need to be aware that fires do happen in homes all times of the year, all times of the day.
03:17You are at your most vulnerable at night when you're asleep.
03:21You will not smell smoke when you are asleep.
03:24First line of defence is those working smoke alarms.
03:27Make sure they are working.
03:28They are less than 10 years old and you have tested them regularly.
03:32A lucky escape here last night.
03:36And that's because of the work of Fire Risky NSW firefighters.
03:39Getting here quickly, getting in under that fire, getting in under the zero visibility of the black, acrid, oily smoke, doing a methodical search through the home and locating that lady who was collapsed on the rear floor at the back door, couldn't get out.
03:57Check those smoke alarms.
03:58Stay safe.
03:59Be safe.
04:00And if you don't know how to check your smoke alarms, contact your local fire station.
04:03Ask them how to, or even better, invite them down to do it for you.
