Shyjana and Julijana Terzioska left with nothing after Merrylands unit block fire

The fire that tore through the western Sydney unit block not only destroyed all of Shyjana’s belongings it also put up a serious hurdle for her music career.

Julijana Terzioska and her daughter musician Shyjana Terzioska at the unit block that was destroyed by the blaze on Wednesday. Picture: AAP IMAGE/ Angelo Velardo

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Pulling up to their building at 11.15am on Friday, mother and daughter Julijana and Shyjana Terzioska leapt to action. As the Merrylands apartment block was engulfed in flames the pair ran into the building, knocking on every door on their way up to their unit on the top floor and pulling out at least six people.

“We saw the smoke and there was maybe one police officer here on the other side of the building, it looked like the flames were coming from that side, so we just ran in and just [started] banging on every door,” Julijana, 40, said.

Shyjana, 20, said she was terrified during the fire, but it is the smoke that has stayed with her.

“The smoke was everywhere, it was so hard to breathe,” she said.

Crews used cranes and water pumps to extinguish the blaze. Picture: @Jonesy_1111

The origin of the fire has not be established. Picture: @Jonesy_1111

“When we got out of the building we went to the restaurant across the road and they had a humidifier on, but every time it let out the water I got scared, I thought it was smoke again.”

The apartment in Merrylands holds a special place for the family. As a musician, Shyjana was close to completing her first album, and had worked on it in her bedroom which is now mostly ash.

“It’s hard to believe it’s gone. If we could go up there and look it would feel final, we could say goodbye and move on,” Julijana said.

The fire broke out in a top unit of the building at about 11am. More than 70 firefighters took two hours to extinguish the flames and a source has yet to be determined on what was the hottest day so far this summer- reaching a top of 45 degrees in western Sydney.

Residents were left stranded and many homeless after the fire destroyed the top floor roof. Picture: Mary Anne Taouk

Escaping the smoke and spreading fire, the Terzioska’s were not the only people in the building to lose it all.

“We’re thankful we got out and were able to get our neighbours out, but everyone is so devastated, some people have lived here for forty years, and now they have nothing,” Julijana said.

“We’re trying to help as much as we can, and really the support we’ve been given has been so amazing. I was so warmed by everyone who came together and donated.”

The pair have created a GoFundMe page which they aim to use to help other people in the building. To contribute visit: gofundme.com/rebuilding-after-our-family-home-went-up-in-flames