Lakemba Public School evacuated after fire erupted at nearby home
A primary school in Sydney’s southwest has been evacuated after a fire destroyed a home on a nearby street.
The Express
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A primary school in Sydney’s southwest has been evacuated after a fire erupted at a nearby home.
Fire and Rescue NSW confirmed all 371 students and 42 staff were safely evacuated from Lakemba Public school following a fire at nearby Alice St.
A team of seven fire trucks and 22 firefighters attended the scene at 12:27pm and found a home with a roof on fire which was starting to impact an neighbouring two-storey home which had two people incident.
Paramedics assessed and treated a 20-year-old woman at the scene for stress and breathing difficulties.
“We were concerned about the fire spreading onto another property but firefighters were able to cut off the fire and save the home,” Fire and Rescue NSW superintendent Adam Dewberry said.
Firefighters attacked the intense blaze from all sides and from the air as the roof and a side wall collapsed. The home was significantly damaged.
Supt. Dewberry said the situation could have been a lot worse.
“They (firefighters) did a wonderful job saving that second property, we could have lost two homes in this event,” he said.
“A part of the wall of the home that was burnt down is leaning on the home they (firefighters) saved, it’s incredible.
“In this case people aren’t displaced which is so important.”
Mr Dewberry said the school and local authorities handled the situation “very well”.
“I spoke with the teachers and the principal and a couple of the little ones were anxious but they were in high spirits,” he said.
“The kids had school counsellors, teachers and police looking after them in a nice safe area.”
The fire is thought to have started in the kitchen and spread to the roof. The cause of the fire is unknown and is not being treated as suspicious.
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