Caitlin Hogan honoured for saving 50 people from preschool fire

A QUEENSLAND childcare worker has been praised for her quick thinking after saving 50 people from a preschool blaze and told of the “very scary” situation she found herself in when the smoke started pouring through the building.

A TOOWOOMBA childcare worker has been praised for her quick thinking after saving 50 people from a preschool fire this year.

Director of Good Start Early Learning Centre at Drayton Caitlin Hogan was in charge of 41 children, aged six weeks to five years old, including her own daughter Harper, when a fire broke out at the centre on February 27.

Police are still investigating the cause of the fire, but believe it may be been deliberately lit.

Caitlin Hogan and daughter Harper, 18 mths, at the Goodstart Child Care Centre in Drayton. Picture: Mark Cranitch

Caitlin rushed to raise the alarm after discovering the blaze in a storage room.

With sleeping children blissfully unaware of the danger, Caitlin had to act quickly to get everyone out as smoke began creeping through the building.

“It was very scary, it was the middle of the day so they were all asleep, it was quite a difficult time,” she said.

However monthly training at the childcare centre taught Caitlin how to react in an emergency.

“We do scheduled evacuations with the children every month to practice just in case a situation like that occurs,” she said.

Caitlin’s calm and quick evacuation of the centre meant none of the children or the nine staff members inside were injured.

Luckily, the centre only suffered minor damage and was able to reopen just two days later.

For her brave actions, Caitlin Hogan has been nominated for a 2018 Pride of Australia medal.

Nominate a hero at prideofaustralia.com.au