Man Dies in Sydney Disability Support Home Fire; Investigation Underway
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A tragic fire in Sydney’s southwest has claimed the life of a man in his 60s, with authorities confirming the incident occurred at a disability support home in Spring Farm early Saturday morning. Investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of the blaze, which rapidly destroyed a property on Corder Drive.
A senior official stated that emergency services responded to the scene just after 12:25 a.m. on Saturday, finding the house already engulfed in flames. Three residents were living at the address at the time of the fire. While two individuals were able to evacuate, one man was unable to escape and was later found deceased at the rear of the property.
Several sources confirmed to the ABC that the home provided care for two individuals living with disabilities. Fire and Rescue NSW Superintendent Adam Dewberry described the fire as “extremely intense,” noting that 22 firefighters and six trucks were dispatched to combat the blaze.
“The fire has got up into the roof area quickly and tore through it, tore across the top, we’ve had significant roof collapse,” Superintendent Dewberry said.
Two other occupants, including a support worker, were treated for minor injuries and transported to a local hospital.
The Critical Role of Smoke Alarms
Superintendent Dewberry emphasized the life-saving impact of functioning smoke alarms, stating that they were instrumental in alerting the two surviving residents. “Definitely a miracle, but it’s those smoke alarms activating got those people up and out,” he said. He warned that without the alarms, the outcome could have been far more devastating, highlighting that a small fire can rapidly escalate and engulf an entire home in under 10 minutes.
Authorities are investigating why the deceased man was unable to escape the rapidly spreading fire. “Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for people living in their own homes to become confused and disorientated when we’ve got a fire that’s filling up with thick black smoke, that smoke is having an impact on them and also impacting their thought process,” Superintendent Dewberry explained.
Investigation and Scene Analysis
Fire investigators and NSW Police have commenced a thorough investigation into the origin and cause of the fire. Teams are meticulously documenting the scene, utilizing photography and drone mapping to create a detailed record of the damage.
“Investigators will move in … and start to excavate, start to peel away and dig away the debris, starting to look for the lowest areas of burning as part of the process,” Superintendent Dewberry detailed.
A granny flat attached to the main property was unaffected by the fire, and its residents escaped unharmed.
Community Reaction
Local resident Jose Nodar discovered the burnt-out home during his morning walk. “That [the fire] had to be intense, it’s brick outside for it to have collapsed like it did, it had to be,” he remarked, expressing his shock at the scene. He recalled hearing sirens the previous night but was unaware of the severity of the incident. “That’s got to be a hell of a way to start the year. My thoughts go out to them.”
The investigation remains active, and further updates will be provided as they become available.
