Woman injured as wheelchair-bound 85yo escapes burning heritage home at Black Forest

An elderly woman has made a lucky escape while her daughter has been rushed to hospital after a heritage home in the leafy inner suburbs went up in flames.

A wheelchair-bound woman in her 80s and her daughter, in her 50s were home when the fire broke out. Picture: FIVEAA

An elderly wheelchair-bound woman has made a miraculous escape while her daughter has suffered minor injuries after a heritage home went up in flames overnight.

Police are investigating after crews were called to Cowper Rd, Black Forest, just after 4.30am to find the early 20th century home – believed to be the suburb’s original dairy – fully ablaze.

The two female occupants, who were home at the time, and neighbours from a nearby property managed to flee.

The fire-ravaged historic home at Black Forest. Picture: FIVEAA

Emergency services at the scene of the Black Forest house fire. Picture: FIVEAA

FIVEAA are reporting the 85-year-old owner, Pam – who has to use a wheelchair – managed to escape but her daughter, a woman in her 50s was taken to hospital with minor burns to her hand.

She said the fire started in the laundry and she was woken by her daughter, frantically telling her to get out to safety.

The elderly woman told FIVEAA she was all right but “I’ll have a cry later on”. She also revealed that her two adult children’s childhood belongings were all destroyed in the blaze.

A neighbour, Pamela, told FIVEAA a fellow neighbour rushed to let her know of the unfolding threat of fire.

“My beautiful 25-year-old neighbour Tim came running down (saying) Pamela, Pamela, you must get up and I was shutting all my windows to my home,” she said.

“(The fire) was raging – the whole back (of the house),” she said.

“(There was) fire everywhere, I ran to get my vehicle out of the garage and drove down the driveway and I was stopped by the fireman and told to take it back, it’s going to be okay ... they were wonderful.”

According to police, the cause of the fire is not yet known and fire investigators are examining the scene.

An MFS spokesperson said six fire trucks with 24 firefighters were able to prevent damage to neighbouring properties.

“Firefighters were confronted with challenging conditions with clutter and difficulties in gaining access to the property,” she said.

“Firefighters had a rapid response and were able to control the fire within 30 minutes and contain it to the region of the property, protecting all surrounding properties.”

Originally published as Woman injured as wheelchair-bound 85yo escapes burning heritage home at Black Forest