Chishom Rd, Auburn: Firefighters rush to house on fire
Two young brothers are lucky to be alive after two heroic council workers pried open the window of their burning home so they could escape.
Parramatta
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Two brothers trapped in their fibro home while a fire ripped through it as they slept have been lucky to escape the inferno after two council workers walking past released them in a dramatic rescue.
Wenkang Du, 19, and Jason Du, 20, were rescued from the Chisholm Rd house after the passing Cumberland Council workers helped them open a window.
Firefighters believe candles burning in a Buddhist religious shrine sparked the blaze just after 10.30am.
Wenkang, also known as Nathan, said his parents were at the doctor when the blaze started in their home of two decades.
He was in a bedroom facing the street while his brother slept in another room.
“I smelled the smoke and we opened the door, we couldn’t get out because the hallway was on fire,” Wenkang said. “We couldn’t exit our rooms.
“There was a lot of heat and smoke.”
Enter two council street cleaners — a 28-year-old and his workmate — who raced to remove the bars from the window, allowing the brothers to escape.
Auburn inspector Karl Leis said the brothers were lucky to be alive.
“The fire took hold quickly and the passers-by were able to get them out by removing the bars off the window,’’ he said.
The 28-year-old council worker suffered smoke inhalation and apart from a sore throat, the occupants were not injured.
The Du family’s two dogs — a shih tzu and pomeranian — were also spared from the fire.
NSW Fire and Rescue Metro East duty commander Graeme Moore said the fire had spread to the roof when crews arrived and it took 45 minutes to contain.
“It’s a severe fire, a extensive fire,” he said.
Firefighters from Chester Hill, Parramatta, Silverwater, Guildford and Lakemba responded to the incident.
Light rain just started to fall at 12.30 pm, helping to douse smoke billowing from the roof.
Fire and Rescue NSW Acting Superintendent Scott Dodson said it was a timely reminder for the community to develop their fire escape plan.
“Now is the time for residents to check they have a working smoke alarm and that all members of the family have an awareness of calling 000 in an emergency,” he said.
The house and the street is still blocked off as emergency services take precaution because of asbestos in the home.