Terrified neighbours watched in horror as a devastating house fire tore through a home in Pakenham last Thursday with a 79-year-old woman sustaining serious injuries.
Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) responded to an incident on Hawk Avenue, Pakenham after callers to Triple Zero (000) reported a bed fire around 8.27am on 26 June.
Firefighters arrived within six minutes to find a single-storey brick dwelling fully involved in fire, with the house sustaining significant damage in the blaze. FRV firefighters were assisted by CFA to battle the blaze.
Streets were blocked off as Victoria Police, Ambulance Victoria, Fire Rescue and CFA attended the scene to assist with the emergency.
Emergency services confirmed a 79-year-old woman was inside the home at the time, who was removed from the property and sustained serious injuries.
An Ambulance Victoria spokesperson said the woman was assessed by paramedics and is expected to be airlifted to the Alfred Hospital in critical condition.
An FRV spokesperson reassured the public the incident was deemed under control by 9.00am, however,crews will remain on scene for some time to ensure the area is safe.
Police say the circumstances surrounding the fire are yet to be determined but at this stage it is not being treated as suspicious.
A neighbour Emma, who lives just streets away said she first noticed something was wrong while doing the school run.
“We were leaving for school and saw what we thought was fog but it was smoke. That was around 8.30,“ she said.
“As the morning went on, I heard more sirens. I was down in Lakeside and checked the emergency app — that’s when I realised it was a house fire.“
By the time Emma returned home, the scale of the incident was impossible to miss.
“The street was full of trucks. And then more were still arriving — Ambulance, CFA, Fire Rescue, AusNet and Police. They just kept coming.“
Emma said another neighbour from the next court told her she was the one who called triple zero.
“She was really shaken when she described to me what she saw. We both saw the air ambulance come in low and figured something bad had happened.“
