13 Aug Brisbane family’s lucky escape as house erupts in flames
A Queensland family has had a lucky escape after their home in south-east Brisbane caught fire overnight. The fire started while the family of eight were all inside the building sleeping. Brent Doody and his wife Lesley lived in the home with their three sons, a daughter-in-law and their grandchildren.
The home went up in flames within minutes and the family only narrowly escaped the blaze when Mrs Doody was woken by a noise.
“It was lucky mum was up and smelt some smoke, otherwise we could have had another disaster here,” Logan House Fire Support Network founder Louie Naumovski said.
The family fled the home, climbing over the back fence, and were forced to watch the inferno from the street. They dreamed of living in the Edens Landing home for almost 30 years, but were just glad to have survived the blaze.
“We were damn lucky,” Mr Doody said.
Mr Naumovski says the incident is a reminder to everyone to make sure to always change the batteries in smoke alarms.
“You have to check them every month, change the batteries every year and make sure you check the expiry,” he said. “A smoke alarm is only good every ten years.”
Police have ruled the fire as non-suspicious.
Posted August 12, 2015 on www.9news.com.au
When is the last time someone checked your house?
Are your smoke alarms battery powered or electric?
And from Queensland Government website:
- Homes built before 1 July 1997 must have at least one 9-volt battery-operated smoke alarm
- Homes built or significantly renovated after 1 July 1997 must have a 240-volt (hard-wired) smoke alarm.
- Buildings submitted for approval from 1st May 2014 must have hard-wired and interconnected smoke alarms.
Read more about smoke alarm legislation .
For safety and peace of mind, talk to AIRS Electrical Contractors about checking your smoke alarms and recommending the most appropriate and efficient solution for your home or business.