ABC Home | Radio | Television | News | Your Local ABC | More Subjects… | Shop

Email

Woman escapes Lake Tyers house blaze

Posted December 2, 2008 15:04:00

Fire destroyed a weatherboard house at the Lake Tyers Aboriginal Trust in East Gippsland last night.

Fire officers say a woman woke to find her bed on fire, but she escaped to a neighbour's house and raised the alarm.

Country Fire Authority operations officer Gavin Hope says the fire started when a burning candle fell onto the bed.

He says the house had no smoke alarm and quickly burnt to the ground, despite the efforts of local brigades.

"[The woman was] extremely lucky and I was talking to her and she seemed to be obviously distressed with losing her home, but physically she wasn't hurt at all, so she was very lucky," he said.

"She managed to get out of the room and go next door to raise the alarm and by the time they did that the bedroom was well alight, so she's very lucky."

Tags: residential-fires, lake-tyers-3887, sale-3850

2008 Year In Review

ABC News Online takes a look at the big stories from 2008.

Feature

A man kisses a woman during a St. Patrick's Day parade in central Moscow

Consuming passion

Scientists say they're starting to understand how chemicals work to produce "love".

News

Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt

Helping hand

The limp US economy prompts pornography king Larry Flynt to ask for a bailout.

Photos

Peter Siddle bowls AB de Villiers

Third Test

Relive the face-saving Sydney match via ABC News Online's photo gallery.