12-year-old girl airlifted after horror house fire
TWO QFES officers have spoken of the difficulty fire fighters faced to rescue a 12-year-old girl from this morning's horror house fire in Monkland.
Gympie
Don't miss out on the headlines from Gympie. Followed categories will be added to My News.
UPDATE: THE 12-year-old girl who was snatched from a burning house in Monkland early this morning remains in a critical condition.
A Careflight helicopter crew airlifted the girl to Lady Cilento Children's Hospital today after hospital staff were finally able to stabilise her at around 1pm.
The fire fighters who braved "horrific conditions" to rescue the girl have been praised for their bravery.
UPDATE: Grey skies and a bitter wind have added to the grim scene at Archery Park as a 12-year-old Gympie girl has been placed aboard the Careflight chopper to be airlifted to Lady Cilento Children's Hospital.
The girl suffered smoke inhalation and severe burns to her upper body after becoming trapped in a bedroom when fire broke out at a Noosa Rd property in the early hours of this morning.
Courageous fire fighters equipped with breathing apparatus and safety gear had to force their way into the Monkland home which was well alight just before 4am, while the girl's mother and two other people clung to each other outside the building after escaping.
In what the area commander has described as "horrific conditions" with nil visibility, thick smoke and deadly flames, the second crew of fire fighters to enter the building were able to locate the girl in a front bedroom.
She was taken to Gympie Hospital in a critical condition and was unable to be stabilised sufficiently until 1pm, when she was taken by ambulance to the helipad at Archery Park and from their airlifted to Brisbane.
UPDATE:
GYMPIE residents were issued a timely warning from Police, Fire and Emergency Services Minister Bill Byrne today on the importance of checking smoke alarms and ensuring their heating appliances have been serviced and are safe to use now that the cold weather has arrived.
Mr Byrne said the cold snap which hit the Gympie region and many parts of Queensland and southern states at the weekend meant many residents were pulling out their heaters and electric blankets for the first time this season.
It was important families and those living together in a house or unit check that the appliances were all still safe to use, check that their smoke alarms are all working, and discuss an evacuation plan should the worst happen and fire break out.
"We had over 500 structural fires in Queensland last winter and some of those were tragic," Mr Byrne said.
UPDATE 10.15am:
TWO Queensland Fire and Rescue Service area commanders have spoken of the difficulty officers faced to rescue a 12-year-old girl from this morning's horror house fire in Monkland.
The girl remains in a critical condition and will be airlifted to Lady Cilento Children's Hospital this morning after two fire fighters found her in her bed at the Noosa Rd house.
Queensland Fire and Emergency Service area commander Mark Long was at the scene of the fire after the first triple-0 call at 3:44am.
"Because of the smoke and the time of night, visibility was very limited," Mr Long said.
Area commander Ernie Massingham said the officers had to break down the front door to enter the house.
"Visibility was nil," he said.
"Firefighters had to use their skills to locate the bedroom initially and then to locate the casualty."
Police have secured the site of the fire for a detailed investigation today.
Mr Massingham said Police Scenes of Crime officers and state Fire Investigators are on their way up from Brisbane because of the seriousness of the fire.
UPDATE 9:30am:
THE 12-year-old girl in a critical condition after this morning's horror house fire in Gympie will be airlifted to Brisbane this morning.
A spokesman for the Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service said the girl was in a critical condition as of 9:20am.
She will soon be airlifted from the Gympie Hospital to Lady Cilento Children's Hospital.
UPDATE 9am:
THE Gympie fire fighters who saved the life of a 12-year-old girl trapped in a burning house in Gympie last night have been praised for their bravery.
Area commander Sunshine Coast Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Bernie Massingham said firefighters had to enter the burning home when the fire was "quite involved" to save the girl, who remains in a critical position in Gympie Hospital but is expected to be airlifted to Brisbane as soon as she is stable enough to move.
Inspector Massingham said the cause of the blaze is unknown.
"Crews were brave in their attempts to extricate that person and they were successful in doing so," he said.
At this stage they are unsure why the occupant wasn't able to exit.
"It took more than 15 firefighters half an hour to extinguish the blaze."
The girl has severe burns to her upper body and also suffered smoke inhalation.
UPDATE 8am:
A 12-year-old Gympie girl is fighting for life in Gympie Hospital this morning following a devastating house fire on the Monkland overnight.
The girl, her mother and two other people were asleep in the house on Noosa Road when fire broke out about 3.30am. It appears to have ravaged a front section of the home.
The girl suffered upper body burns and smoke inhalation and was rushed to Gympie Hospital in a critical condition. At this point she has not been airlifted.
Her mum and the other two people in the house have not been injured.
It took 15 fire fighters half an hour to put the fire out once they arrived on the scene.
When the crews first arrived the other three people were already outside the house and the young girl was still inside. The fire was "quite involved" at this stage.
Two fire fighters entered the home in a search and rescue while the blaze was burning fiercely. More fire fighters entered soon after.
They found the girl in her bedroom at the front of the house.
It is unknown at this stage exactly where the fire started or what cause the blaze. Officers are on the scene investigating.
While fire fighters did not say outright that the young girl had become trapped in the blaze, a spokesman told The Gympie Times this morning it was very easy for a person to become confused and disorientated inside a burning building when it is pitch black, you can't see and the level of oxygen is dropping quickly.
These confusing conditions take effect very quickly, he said.
EARLIER:
A 12-year-old Gympie girl is fighting for life in Gympie Hospital this morning following a devastating house fire on the Monkland overnight.
The girl, her mother and two other people were asleep in the house on Noosa Rd when fire broke out about 3.30am. It appears to have ravaged a front section of the home.
The girl suffered burns and smoke inhalation and was rushed to Gympie Hospital in a critical condition. At this point she has not been airlifted.
Her mum and the other two people in the house have not been injured.
It took 15 fire fighters half an hour to put the fire out once they arrived on the scene.
It is unknown at this stage exactly where the fire started or what cause the blaze.
Officers are on the scene investigating.
Watch: Veteran’s heartbreak after pitbull kills loved pet at park
A Qld family is distraught after their jack russell-pomeranian cross was killed by a pitbull which also attacked and left one of them covered in blood at a popular dog park. VIDEO, PHOTOS.
Keith Pitt made Ambassador to the Holy See in shock announcement
Outgoing Federal MP for Hinkler Keith Pitt announced he would exit politics late last year citing “frustration” and policy disagreements, and hinted at the time that an undisclosed new job opportunity was among the reasons for his decision. Now we know what that was.