Sep 25, 2023

Care residents rescued in suspicious facility fire

Detectives are treating the fire as suspicious and the circumstances surrounding the blaze are under investigation. [Source: Fire Rescue Victoria]

Residents have been rescued after a suspicious fire caused panic at a Victorian residential care facility.

Residents were found coughing and some had to be rescued from second storey balconies after the fire broke out at the 30-unit Balwyn residential care facility about 10pm Sunday.

Fire Rescue Victoria said multiple panicked residents of the Mangan Street location called triple-000 with some residents claiming they could not get out of their apartments due to the smoke.

Attending firefighters discovered a fire in a unit on the first floor of the assisted living facility and immediately called for additional help. 

Victoria Police and the Department of Human Services were also on scene to help residents. 

Firefighters evacuated all 30 units and rescued a total of 14 residents. The fire was under control about an hour and a half later and all residents of the facility were accounted for.

One resident was treated for smoke inhalation by Ambulance Victoria paramedics and one was taken to hospital with chest pains.

A Victoria Police spokesperson told Herald Sun that Detectives are treating the fire as suspicious and the circumstances surrounding the blaze are under investigation. 

This follows a fire that broke out at a Melbourne retirement village in July where a resident died from the blaze.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online here.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Renewed calls for regular testing of elderly drivers declared ‘ageist’ by advocates

Health practitioners have urged the state of Victoria to adopt annual competency checks for drivers over the age of 75, which are currently the standard in NSW, QLD and the ACT. Read More

Man Avoids Jail Despite Indecently Assaulting Seven Young NDIS Carers

A disabled man who indecently assaulted seven young NDIS carers in his home has avoided jail with a 12-month suspended sentence. After receiving the sentence, he shocked onlookers by telling his victims to "F* off." Read More

Sweden Introduces Groundbreaking Paid Parental Leave for Grandparents

In a world-first, Sweden now offers paid parental leave to grandparents, allowing them to help care for their grandchildren during the crucial first year. Discover how this innovative policy is reshaping family support Read More
Advertisement
Exit mobile version