Sikandar Ali Hossaini saves neighbour from Thebarton house fire

The selfless caretaker has described what he saw in the moments before he decided to put his own safety aside for the sake of his elderly friend.

The caretaker of a community garden has told of the dramatic moment he looked out the window to find his neighbour’s property engulfed in flames.

Sikandar Ali Hossaini, 46, woke at his usual 4.45am for morning prayers when he looked across to his neighbour, retired caretaker Joe’s cottage at the Dame Roma Mitchell Gardens at the rear of the historic Adelaide Gaol precinct.

He raced into action within minutes, found Joe partially collapsed in the hallway of the building, and unable to get out.

“I heard something fall down, and an explosion or something,” Mr Hossaini said.

“When I came out, I saw the fire. When I saw the fire, I was scared and started shouting, called to my wife.

“Then I was running, and the fire had started only about 15 or 20 minutes.

“I tried to go to him (Joe), and my wife said, ‘don’t go, don’t go’.

“I said no problem, it’s just a little bit of fire at Joe’s bedroom.

“I saw him in his bedroom door, he fell down; he tried to get up but he couldn’t.”

Fire investigators at the fire-destroyed cottage. Picture: Mark Brake

The cottage was extensively damaged. Picture: Mark Brake

Neighbouring properties were evacuated as a precaution. Picture: Tara Miko

Putting his own safety aside, Mr Hossaini got Joe – who he calls ‘brother’ – out of the extensively damaged cottage built about 1950.

It is not heritage listed but the other dwelling where Mr Hossaini lives with his wife and two children, aged 15 and 6, is as it forms part of the historic gaol complex.

Joe was taken to safety outside.

Ali Hossaini care taker of Dame Roma Mitchell Gardens at the cottage he rescued Joe the gardner from this morning. Picture: Mark Brake

Fire investigators will attend the scene on Monday morning to try to determine the cause of the fire. Picture: Tara Miko

“He was unconscious, not 100 per cent OK because his leg and foot was burned,” Mr Hossaini said.

The Hossaini took Joe to their home and settled him until emergency services arrived.

The 83-year-old was taken to the Royal Adelaide Hospital in a serious condition suffering smoke inhalation.

He remained in hospital late Monday afternoon.

Mr Hossaini said police and firefighters urged him to gather his family’s important documents and evacuate their home as a precaution due to the severity of the fire at Joe’s cottage.

An exclusion zone was put in place around the cottage because of asbestos concerns.

Fire investigators pored through the rubble Monday morning to identify the cause, which was deemed not suspicious.

It is believed an electrical fault may have sparked the blaze that caused an estimated $300,000 damage.

Mr Hossaini is the current caretaker of the grounds facilitated by the Adelaide Day Centre, a not-for-profit organisation that works to support homeless or unemployed people.

The Old Adelaide Gaol caretaker’s cottage suffered significant damage. Picture: Tara Miko

Mr Hossaini has lived at the gardens for about three years, taking over the volunteer caretaker role from Joe who retired.

Adelaide Day Centre co-ordinator Joyce van der Sman said firefighters initially had some access issues to the site because of development works on the women and children’s hospital but crews were able to contain the fire to the single cottage.

“The property that has been in flames was built in the mid-1900s as an addition when the Adelaide Gaol was being run as a prison and the market garden had to be managed by the jail,” she said.

“Joe was caretaker for a few years and was allowed to retire as part of the next caretaker family so it has been 15 years.”

She described Ali’s action as lifesaving.

“He saw the flames and immediately came and found that a little bit of the roof had burnt and fallen in the doorway so he went in and found Joe trying to come out but he was unable to manage by himself, being very frail.

“So he assisted Joe out of the house to safety just in time the fire crew told us.”