Norlane man suffers smoke inhalation and cuts after entering burning house

A Norlane man was treated for smoke inhalation and glass cuts after bravely entering a burning Norlane house to rescue a neighbour he thought was inside.

There was a house fire in Bellbird Ave, Norlane. Picture: Alison Wynd.

A man has been treated for smoke inhalation and glass cuts after entering a burning Norlane house early Tuesday morning to rescue a neighbour he thought was inside.

Matt Wood said he woke to a loud bang and went outside to see his neighbour’s Bellbird Ave house up in flames.

“I saw (the flames) from my front door and I thought someone was in there,” he said.

Mr Wood immediately rushed to the house, where he smashed the back window with his fists in an effort to get inside.

He managed to make partial entry, but cut his hands and inhaled smoke in the process.

“If anyone was in there, they would’ve had no chance,” he said.

“I was calling out …‘Are you in there mate? Are you in there?’”

Matt Wood smashed windows of a Bellbird Ave house that was engulfed in flames to try and rescue anyone inside. Picture: Alison Wynd.

Mr Wood said another neighbour was yelling to tell him the occupants weren’t home.

He said emergency services arrived soon after and paramedics treated him for smoke inhalation.

“I had a bit of blood on me from breaking the glass,” he said.

A house fire in Bellbird Ave. Picture: Alison Wynd.

A Fire Rescue Victoria spokesman said crews arrived at the Bellbird Ave address just before 6am to find the single-storey house “well alight” after multiple calls to triple-0.

“He (Mr Wood) was trying to warn people, yelling and smashing windows to the house,” he said.

The spokesman said firefighters quickly contained the blaze and the incident was deemed under control at 6.10am.

He said crews wore breathing apparatus after gaining access to the premises to extinguish the blaze and found no one inside.

Another neighbour, Monique Callus, whose house borders the impacted property, said she could feel the heat from inside her laundry and see flames over the fence.

A house fire in Bellbird Ave Norlane. Picture: Alison Wynd

“I grabbed the cats and woke my daughter, ” she said.

Ms Callus said her family then went out on to the street.

“Today we’re going to make a fire plan,” she said.

Another neighbour, who did not want to be named, said he called triple-0 when he saw the smoke from his house.

“It went from a little fire to completely up in flames in no time at all,” he said.

“Live wire bouncing around in the front yard … there were windows blowing out.”

The incident was deemed suspicious and the scene has been handed to Victoria Police.

Originally published as Norlane man suffers smoke inhalation and cuts after entering burning house