NEIGHBOURS reported hearing the sound of a car horn coming from the garage of a Forrest Hill house engulfed by fire in the early hours of yesterday morning which has left one man dead.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Police remained at the Dunn Avenue house for most of yesterday as investigations continue into the cause of fire, which eyewitnesses have said started from the air-conditioning unit on the roof of the house.
The blaze, which saw a co-ordinated response from the Rural Fire Service, Fire and Rescue NSW and Wagga police, was first reported about 12.30am, with nearby residents rushing to the fire, a witness saying two neighbours attempted to control the inferno with garden hoses.
Neighbour Kirsty Lowe said she saw smoke coming from the air-conditioning unit just after 12.20am, called triple-0, and started banging on the door.
“I heard the crackling noise of the fire, which is when I realised what it was, so I called triple-0, ran to the house and started banging on the door,” Ms Lowe, still visibly shaken, said.
“I could see flames through the window and the triple-0 operator told me to move away from the house.”
NSW Rural Fire Service’s Ben Shepherd said emergency services were confronted with a house “well alight” and a collapsing roof when they arrived at the scene, which was within 10 minutes of it being reported.
“When crews arrived on the scene they found the unit fully engulfed (in fire) and the fire was already through the roof,” he said.
Ambulance officers attended but the man was already deceased when they arrived.
The man, identified as Daniel Ridgwell, had only recently moved into the house and was well-liked by his neighbours.
Bystander Jessica Saunders said five people watched in horror as firefighters fought to control the blaze, which left an intense odour which could still be smelt in the avenue yesterday.
“Not long after we started watching we heard a massive bang and the roof caved in — everyone was in complete shock,” Miss Saunders said.
“More bangs occurred (windows) and we could hear glass smashing ... we moved our car as the smell of the fire became more intense, we all felt powerless as we watched the house burn away.”
RFS zone commander Roger Orr said investigators would complete a report on the fire in the next couple of days.
