At 7:27 PM last night, Fire and Rescue NSW Station 392 Muswellbrook and Pumper 208 responded to a house fire on Brook Street, Muswellbrook. Initial reports indicated the occupant had self-evacuated before re-entering the burning building—a dangerous action that put their life and emergency responders at risk.
Firefighters faced significant challenges accessing the blaze due to severe hoarding inside the property. The fire was caused by the occupant falling asleep with a lit cigarette, triggering numerous Triple Zero (000) calls and requiring additional resources to contain the situation.
A total of 42 firefighters attended the incident, including:
- 28 Fire and Rescue NSW firefighters
- 14 RFS firefighters and one group officer
- NSW Ambulance paramedics
- NSW Police Force officers
Fire & Rescue NSW Station 444 Singleton also responded with their tanker and a Compressed Air Foam System (CAFS) pumper. The new appliance played a crucial role in the response, with 11 drums of foam used to help extinguish the fire.
Firefighters deployed 40 breathing apparatus cylinders throughout the operation to bring the blaze under control. Thermal imaging drones from Pumper 208 were used to identify remaining hot spots.
Fortunately, no surrounding homes or structures were impacted, and there were no injuries reported. Photos from the scene, including images from the drone and a member of the public before emergency crews arrived, capture the intensity of the incident.
Authorities remind residents never to re-enter a burning building under any circumstances, as it endangers both their lives and those of emergency responders.