A FAMILY has had a very lucky escape after their home was left partially destroyed during an overnight fire.
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Firefighters were called to a property on Wilfred Smith Drive in Firgrove, east of Dubbo, at 8.10pm on Wednesday following reports of a house fire.
Fire and Rescue NSW Dubbo Station Officer John Poulos was among the crews who attended and said the fire could be seen down the road before firefighters even arrived on scene.
"There was fire coming out of the roof and the left hand side of the house," he said.
"I walked around the back and the whole back area of the house was alight."
Due to the significant size of the fire, and the fact that it was in the roof space, firefighters did not initially enter the property to fight the blaze due to concerns the roof may collapse.
MAP: The location of the house fire
"I was concerned about the roof structure because heat can weaken the metal," Station Officer said.
The home was located on a small acerage and even though there was town water available, crews did have issues with water pressure.
"We had a problem with water supply, the hydrants were just so far away so it reduced water pressure," Station Officer Poulos said.
Fifty per cent of the house was fire damaged and the rest of the house was smoke damaged.
- Station Officer John Poulos
Crews had the fire under control within 10 minutes of their arrival, but they remained on scene for a couple of hours ensuring the fire and any hot spots were completely extinguished.
"Fifty per cent of the house was fire damaged and the rest of the house was smoke damaged," Station Officer Poulos said.
There were no injuries to residents or firefighters during the blaze.
"There were occupants at home at the time, but by the time we arrived they were out of the house," Station Officer Poulos said.
NSW Rural Fire Service firefighters from Dubbo Headquarters and Eulomogo brigades were also called to the house fire.
"On arrival crews were confronted with a house fully involved with a nearby structure under threat," Dubbo Headquarters firefighters said.
"Due to quick and hard work by firefighters the fire was contained to the structure of origin and after a few hours of overhaul it was soon extinguished."
At this stage the cause of the fire is still under investigation, but Station Officer Poulos said he believed the point of origin was in the television room.
Home fire safety tips
- Turn your appliances off at the power point when not in use
- Ensure your appliances are in good condition and working order before use
- Do not overload your powerboards
- If you see a fire always call triple-0, rather than your local fire station, for the quickest response to the incident.
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