Neighbours were praised for their quick actions in helping save two dogs from a house fire in Canberra's north yesterday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The blaze destroyed much of the roof of a home on Kevin Street in Evatt about 12.30pm. It was thought to have begun in the bathroom of the three-bedroom house before spreading to the roof.
![Neighbours help save dogs from house fire Neighbours help save dogs from house fire](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/c8097b70-bbe1-4cc6-b0c9-da79c40a9736.jpg/r0_0_729_525_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
It continued to burn for more than three hours and caused an estimated $200,000 damage.
Neighbour Bobbie Brown had noticed the smoke, originally thinking it was a lawnmower, but came outside to find the house ablaze.
Ms Brown knew there were two labradors, Simba and Sid, in the backyard, and quickly leapt into action. She let Simba out of the backyard and took her to her home, but Sid was trapped in a shed next to the house.
She alerted firefighters, who called Domestic Animal Services to retrieve the dog, which was then left in the care of Ms Brown and another neighbour, Jamie Aston. ''My first concern was of course the animals,'' Ms Aston said.
''It's so sad because it's just before Christmas, and they just renovated the whole [house].''
ACT Fire and Rescue Commander Ross Turton praised the neighbours for their quick actions in calling triple-zero.
He said the fire had been difficult to extinguish because of the home's flat, tin roof.
''When you get a developing fire in a roof like that, the tin material softens and becomes a danger to walk on,'' Commander Turton said.
The owners were believed to be at work at the time of the fire.
Earlier, firefighters had attended an office building on London Circuit in Civic, where a pungent smell had sparked fears of a gas leak.
The smell emanated from a kitchen area in the building, causing five people to be treated for vomiting and nausea.
About 30 staff were evacuated as a precaution while emergency services monitored the air for dangerous substances.
Firefighters ventilated the building and gave the all-clear about 11am.