Woodridge house fire: Woman dies after being dragged from burning home

Emergency services could not revive a woman dragged from her burning home south of Brisbane after she alerted them from her medical bracelet, with harrowing screams and alarms in the background as they scrambled crews.

“Help! help! help!” These were the screams of the terrified 73-year-old Woodridge woman who perished when fire gutted her unit in the early hours of this morning.

The woman was using a back-to-base medical device and responders told of the terror in the woman’s voice as fire alarms went off in the background.

Logan Fire Inspector Geoff Townsley said the woman was dragged from the unit at Ewing Road, Woodridge, about 2am and given CPR.

He said fireys were at the scene within eight minutes but the main bedroom was gutted.

The woman, who lived alone, is believed to have been smoking at 1.30am.

“Just because she was a smoker doesn’t mean that was the cause of the fire,” Insp Townsley said.

“This is being taken very seriously.”

Acting Senior Sergeant Lawrie Catterson confirmed the woman had to be dragged outside.

“The female was brought out to the front of the dwelling where paramedics performed CPR on her,” he told reporters from the scene.

“Sadly she passed away at the scene.”

An elderly woman has died in a house fire in Woodridge. Picture: 7 News

Neighbour Rosaline Martin said she heard a loud bang which she now believes was a window combusting.

Neighbour Hussain Abdullahee, in a unit in the complex, had just returned from a shift as an Uber driver when he heard a loud bang and saw glass shattering from the next-door window.

Police were calling next of kin but said it was too early to determine the cause of the fire.

Neighbours were leaving the Ewing Rd units this morning in shock.

Another neighbour, Nan McCue, said her neighbour was a quiet woman who had been ill for a long-time and relied on a walking frame.

Residents at the scene of a fatal fire in Woodridge. Picture: Judith Kerr

The personal distress device was found inside the burned unit on a shelf.

The main damage was to the master bedroom but quick action from Woodridge and Loganlea fire stations stopped the spread to other units.