Family reveals reason charcoal barbecue was brought inside

The devastating reason a family brought a charcoal barbecue into their home has been revealed after the six relatives were almost killed.

The family nearly killed when they went to sleep with a charcoal barbecue burning have revealed the upsetting reason that drove them to bringing the makeshift heater inside.

Six Iranian refugees were rushed to hospital early Tuesday morning with carbon monoxide poisoning after bringing the barbecue inside their Merrylands home, in Sydney’s west.

As temperatures plunged to 9C overnight, married couple Najem and Razia Nawaseri desperately wanted to keep their family, including their 13-year-old son, warm.

Within hours of bringing the barbecue inside, the teen woke up feeling dizzy.

“I didn’t realise it was this [the barbecue],” he told The Daily Telegraph.

“It had no smell, it was just on but I was feeling very dizzy.”

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Raaed Nawaseri, 13, and his dad Najem Nawaseri pictured with the barbecue that almost killed them. Picture: NCA Newswire/Gaye Gerard

His dad also woke up feeling sick and knew something was wrong when he overheard his son throwing up in another room.

“When I woke up I was very dizzy and then I understood (what was going on), then I saw my young son vomiting and then I called triple-0,” Mr Nawaseri said through interpreter Hossein Hardnai.

“I wanted to make my son warm because at night time it was so cold.”

Like many others, his family had been feeling the pinch of the soaring coast of living.

“(It’s) very expensive, the gas and everything … A lot of people’s heaters do not work and they don’t have enough money to pay,” he told the publication.

Fire and Rescue NSW Superintendent Adam Dewberry said the act could have easily cost the family their lives, and warned others about bringing outdoor appliances indoors.

The barbecue was brought inside to keep the family warm. Picture: NCA Newswire/Gaye Gerard

“While we understand the family and their guests were trying to stay warm during winter and thought bringing the makeshift heating device inside was a good idea, it unwittingly put lives at risk,” he said.

“Never bring outdoor heaters or cookers inside and never rely on charcoal beads for heating in confined spaces.”

The incident sparked a fresh warning from the department Tuesday evening, telling the public to “never use barbecue grills or outside heaters indoors”.

“These devices generate carbon monoxide, which causes death without warning,” a statement read.

“Outdoor heaters and barbecues produce carbon monoxide, a poisonous gas you can’t see, taste or smell. When it builds up inside your home, carbon monoxide gas can kill without warning.”