A kitchen fire in a South Hobart apartment block this week could have ended much worse if not for working smoke alarms that gave residents crucial early warning to evacuate, the TFS says.
Firefighters rushed to the Davey Street unit around 9:20pm on Wednesday night after reports of the blaze, arriving to find flames engulfing the kitchen.
Station Officer David McCambridge said several residents were already evacuating the building when crews arrived.
One person was taken to hospital for smoke inhalation after trying to tackle the blaze with a fire blanket and extinguisher.
“Working smoke alarms located throughout the building activated in the early stages of this fire allowing occupants to be rapidly alerted to take action,” McCambridge said.
“Fire crews quickly brought the fire under control and remained on scene for approximately three hours to conduct overhaul and investigation.”
He said quick action and the presence of multiple firefighting aids helped contain the blaze to the kitchen.
“No doubt, the addition of multiple firefighting aids throughout this premises and a quick response from fire crews contributed to the fire being contained to just the kitchen of the unit.”
McCambridge reminded the public that smoke alarms should be installed in every bedroom, living area and garage.
“It’s important for everyone to remember that working smoke alarms save lives,” he added.
