Fires over the Australia Day Weekend
Published: 27th January 2009
The Australia Day long weekend proved to be a busy one for firefighters with 18 residential fires in three days. In the early hours of Saturday 24 January, firefighters responded to two serious structure fires. Firefighters from Liverpool, Revesby, Cabramatta and the Duty Commander were called to a house fire in Hammondville. On arrival the rear of the house was engulfed in flames and despite the best efforts of firefighters, an elderly woman could not be saved. Two hours later, firefighters from Newcastle, Carrington, Hamilton, Merewether and New Lambton responded to a unit fire in Maryville. Firefighters arrived to find that a woman had self-evacuated by jumping off the second storey balcony. Firefighters were able to quickly contain the fire and search the property, with the unit severely damaged in the blaze. The woman was treated for minor injuries and smoke inhalation. Tragically, on Australia Day firefighters from Leeton responded to another fatal fire. On arrival, several rooms of the house were well alight and despite best efforts from all, a young child was deceased.