Wyndham Vale: Off-duty firefighters lauded for ‘heroic’ rescue

Two off-duty firefighters have been praised for the “truly heroic” rescue of a woman trapped in a home inferno in Wyndham Vale.

Two off-duty firefighters have been praised for the “truly heroic” rescue of a woman trapped in a home inferno.

Fire Rescue Victoria’s Rodney Mitchell and Werribee Fire Brigade’s Michael Davie were driving through Wyndham Vale on Saturday afternoon when they came across a fire engulfing a McGrath Rd home.

Two off duty firefighters have sprung into action to save a woman from a burning home in Melbourne’s west. They climbed on its roof and pulled her out in a dramatic and dangerous rescue. https://t.co/5zYfOfGqUb @paul_dowsley #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/tCxBvhdLaw

— 7NEWS Melbourne (@7NewsMelbourne) March 26, 2022

The fire begun shortly before 12.30pm in the front yard of the property, quickly spreading to the house due to a “significant fuel load at the scene”.

After learning a woman was still trapped inside the house, the pair climbed onto the roof of the property removing tiles and pulling the woman to safety.

Inspector-General for Emergency Management, Tony Pearce, lauded the pair, saying they acted without hesitation.

“Great job boys … Very impressed with the selfless and brave act initiated by Rodney Mitchell and Michael Davie,” he wrote on Facebook.

Drone photo of firefighters battling to prevent the spread of the McGrath Rd fire on March 26, 2022. Picture: Country Fire Association.

Incident controller captain Trevor Weston of the Wyndham Vale Fire Brigade said the “truly heroic effort” was a testament to the character of the two men.

“Firefighters were confronted with an intense firefight on arrival that took some time to bring under control,” he said.

“The fire was extremely intense, due to excessive fuel loads, both inside and outside the house.

“Thankfully, due to the great efforts of all firefighters on scene, one neighbouring property suffered only minimal damage.”

Captain Weston said more than 60 firefighters and 14 appliances had responded to the incident, which was declared under control two hours later.

Six cars at the property were destroyed in the blaze as the property was reduced to ash.

A Victoria Police spokeswoman said no one was injured during the fire, but the cause was being investigated by police.

“Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000,” she said.