Mandurah volunteer firefighters, police, neighbours and the victims of a house fire celebrated on Wednesday morning, after two kittens and two children escaped uninjured.
Bouvard resident Chloe, who did not want her last name to be used, said she woke “annoyed” in her Mulberry Close home after hearing the fire alarm sound this morning about 7.45am.
“A constant beep, beep, beep was going off,” she said.
“I clicked and realised what it was and my wife just screamed, ‘Fire!’.
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“I went into action and ran into my living room area to look for the kids.”
Chloe said a couch was “engulfed in flames” and she could still not see her children.
“My littlest ran up to me and I got him out but the other one was still missing,” she said.
I went into frantic mode – I started smashing every window.
“My wife was so brave – she ran into the flames for my eldest son, we could just not find him anywhere.”
Chloe said a few minutes later the living room ceiling collapsed, with her wife and son still inside the house.
“I went into frantic mode – I started smashing every window,” she said.
Chloe said her son was found safe, hiding under a bed in the backroom.
“It was such a relief,” she said.
I am just thankful my family is okay, that’s all that matters at the end of the day.
Chloe was covered in soot and was visibly shaken following the ordeal.
“I have blisters and burns all over my hands,” she said.
“I am just thankful my family is okay, that’s all that matters at the end of the day.”
The blaze did not reach the study or bedrooms but “did a good job” on the back of the house, she said.
All four victims were cleared for smoke inhalation by St John Ambulance.
Five fire and rescue crews and two police officers attended the incident.
Chloe thanked the fire and rescue volunteers, who rescued the kittens, saying they “don’t get paid enough for what they do”.
The family said the damage would be about $100,000, but fire and rescue crews estimated $200,000.