NEIGHBOURS who spotted smoke coming from an Albury house on Thursday may have prevented a devastating fire after the elderly woman inside couldn’t hear her dying smoke alarm.
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It has prompted firefighters to remind residents to check their smoke detectors.
Albury Central fire brigade senior firefighter Matthew Smith said neighbours to the George Street house phoned firefighters at 7.20pm when they noticed smoke coming from the building.
Mr Smith said once inside, firefighters discovered a fire had started inside the faulty oven and the smoke alarms, which had gone off, needed batteries to be replaced.
“The smoke alarm needed testing, but she had only just moved in,” Mr Smith said.
“This is an elderly lady who couldn’t hear it go off at all.”
Fortunately, he said, the fire was confined to inside the oven that contained a very burnt pecan pie.
Mr Smith called for people to test their fire alarms.
“Only a smoke detector with fully operating batteries will save lives,” he said.