Husband and wife firefighters save girl from burning home - AUDIO GRABS - Wentworth Falls
Published: 11 Jul 2023 12:24pm
A husband and wife team of off-duty firefighters will be considered for bravery awards after saving a semi-conscious girl from a house fire in the Blue Mountains at the weekend.
46-year-old Adoni Maalouf and his wife, Tania, aged 47, were woken in their Wentworth Falls home just after 6am on Saturday 8 July by his dog barking and screams of "fire" by a young boy outside.
As Tania rang Triple Zero (000), Adoni ran to the boy and who said his sister was trapped inside an adjacent bed and breakfast, fully engulfed in fire, in Yester Road.
Without any protective gear, the On-call (Retained) firefighter, just two days short of 12 months' service with FRNSW, kicked the front door open but was forced back by smoke and flames.
He joined the children's mother at the side of the house where they commandeered a mobile phone, activated the torch application and shone the light through a bedroom window to guide the girl, aged 14 or 15, through the thick black smoke to the escape point.
As the mother smashed the window, the girl told them she thought she was going to die.
The teen then collapsed, semi-conscious due to smoke inhalation, and the rookie firefighter reached through and dragged her outside.
Neighbours then helped him carry her across the street to safety, where she recovered.
Firefighter Maalouf, a former scuba instructor, fitness trainer and father of three, then attacked the fire with a garden hose until other firefighters arrived and extinguished the gutted house.
The mother and her children, from the ACT, were treated in hospital and later discharged.
The firefighter's commanders intend to nominate Firefighter Maalouf for a bravery award.
FRNSW Duty Commander - Blue Mountains, Inspector Kevin Smith, said, “Firefighter Maalouf displayed decisiveness and courage in his actions of rescuing the young lady from the burning house whilst off duty without breathing apparatus or firefighting equipment.”
It's not known if a smoke alarm activated during the fire but Inspector Smith is reminding the public that working alarms save lives.
Media Note: Overlaid grabs of Firefighter Maalouf are available here: https://vimeo.com/844083949/7713808766?share=copy [external link]
Updated: 11 Jul 2023 12:28pm
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WENTWORTH FALLS | Husband and wife firefighters save girl from burning home - AUDIO GRABS. A husband and wife team of off-duty firefighters will be considered for bravery awards after saving a semi-conscious girl from a house fire in the Blue Mo...
12:19pm • Jul 11, 2023 - View tweet on Twitter
Related safety topics
It“s the law to have at least one working smoke alarm installed on every level of your home.
Having a home escape plan and a working smoke alarm increases your chances of getting out safely.
Details about this incident may change and should not be used as emergency information and/or advice.
For all life threatening emergencies, call Triple Zero (000)
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