Reginald Wright wakes family of six after their Reservoir home catches fire

Reginald Wright said he “would’ve done the same for everyone” after he banged on the windows of a burning home, helping his neighbours escape as their property went up in flames.

A hero neighbour who helped save a family of six after their Reservoir home was engulfed by fire overnight, said he’s no hero and would’ve done it for anyone.

Reginald Wright, 80, raised the alarm by banging on the windows of the family’s house in McPherson St when it caught fire about 3am on Thursday.

Mr Wright’s efforts, combined with a working smoke alarm, allowed the family of two adults and four children to evacuate their home safely.

Fire Rescue Victoria Northern Commander Tony Milczakowsky said the family were lucky to have such an attentive man living next door.

Reginald Wright, 80, rushed to his neighbours’ aid to alert them to the fire at their house. Picture: Angus McIntyre

“They’ve been fortunate to escape unscathed,” Mr Milczakowsky said.

“They were first alerted by the neighbour, an elderly neighbour, who did see the flames flickering, alerted the occupants of that and knocked on the doors and the windows to be able to get them moving, and then the smoke alarms kicked in.”

Firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze in half an hour.

Despite playing a crucial part in the family’s escape from their burning home, Mr Wright downplayed the moment he rushed their aid.

“I’m not a hero,” the asthmatic grandfather of five said.

“I would have done the same for everyone.

“It’s the way I was brought up.”

A McPherson St resident captured the moment firefighters arrived to put out a blaze in the house opposite. Picture: Supplied

Mr Wright has lived at his address on McPherson Street for over 50 years.

Residents described him as a one man neighbourhood watch, always happy to help put bins out and collect mail while people were away.

Mr Wright said he had only just got back into bed from a late night bathroom visit when he heard a loud bang from next door.

Seeing flames out of his window, he grabbed a torch and went next door to alert the family.

“I was knocking on the windows saying ‘get out get out your house is on fire’,” he said.

The family’s smoke alarm hadn’t gone off immediately, meaning Mr Wright potentially saved them from a much worse situation.

They were lucky to have a neighbour like Mr Wright, who originally was meant to be dog sitting for his daughter in Watsonia.

The family spent the early hours of Thursday morning loading what belongings they could salvage into a truck outside their home.

Reginald Wright has lived at his address on McPherson Street for over 50 years. Picture: Angus McIntyre

They had renovated their house within the last year.

Although none of the family were hurt, much of their home was destroyed.

Fire crews were investigating the cause of the blaze on Thursday morning, Mr Milczakowsky said.

“The fire is still under investigation at the moment, but it has started in the rear of the house itself, and has really come forward and taken out most of the house, so it is uninhabitable at this time.”