Policeman recovers in hospital after fire rescue effort
A police officer who was injured in a fatal house fire in Alice Springs early yesterday is recovering at home, after being treated for burns and cuts.
Senior Sergeant Garry Smith was one of the first people at the scene of the fire in Larapinta, which killed a 41-year-old woman.
Northern Territory police have praised the officer for his heroic efforts, who tried to break into the house to check for occupants before fire crews arrived.
Senior Sergeant Smith was treated in Alice Springs Hospital after he suffered cuts and burns while trying to save the woman.
Power board may have sparked fire
By AURORA DANIELS13mar07
An overloaded power board may have caused a house fire in which an Alice Springs woman died early on Saturday morning, say firefighters. At the same time, firefighters were called to a second fire in a unit, possibly caused by a seized evaporative airconditioner.
Assistant Director NT Fire and Rescue Service Paul Herrick said it was the first time in his 35 years as a firefighter that he'd been confronted by two house fires at the same time. He said: `It's hard for the guys here. There were simultaneous calls about two house fires at opposite ends of town.
`The first one at Gap Road was a confirmed house fire which reportedly had people trapped inside on the first floor, while the Lander Court fire was called in as a house fire. `They had a difficult decision to make but had to attend a fire which reportedly had people inside.''
As it turned out, there was no one in the Gap Road unit, while Helen Esnouf, 41, was in her Lander Court home and died from smoke inhalation. Police and fire crews were called to the Lander Court house fire just after 3.30am Saturday by neighbour Graham Short.
Mr Short said he was watching DVDs at home when he smelled smoke. He said: ``When I opened my front door which faces Helen's, I saw the windows had already blown out and there were flames through the roof.
``I called 000 and then went to a neighbour and woke them and got them and their two babies out of the house, and then grabbed the garden hose and started wetting the house.
``There was a gas bottle there and I didn't want that to go up and spread the fire to other houses, so I tried to keep that area wet.''
Mr Short said that when policeman Gary Smith arrived on the scene, he smashed a window to try gain access and see if there was anyone inside. Mr Short said: ``Ten minutes later I turned around and he was lying on the road with paramedics all around him. I was 99 per cent sure Helen was in there because her car was there.
``As more police and the firemen came, my asthma kicked in and I was taken to hospital.'' Mr Herrick said there were smoke alarms fitted to the Territory Housing home in Lander Court and neighbours reported hearing them.
He said: ``It took a recall crew 20 minutes to get to the Lander Court house after they were awoken in their homes and called into work as soon as the initial Gap Road unit call came through."
Detective Senior Sergeant Michael Murphy said fire crews took approximately half an hour to control the blaze and a further two hours to extinguish it. Det Snr Sgt Murphy said: ``Police were first on the scene but the house was well alight.
``A police officer smashed the back window of the house to determine if there was anyone inside, but the blaze was so intense he was unable to enter. ``He suffered cuts and burns in the process and was treated in hospital.''
He added that Sen-Sgt Gary Smith and neighbour Graham Short should be commended for their courageous efforts.
