Blaze Engulfs Aussie Cricket Player's Home
Australian Test Cricket Player Ed Cowan's house was consumed by fire on Cook Road in Sydney, New South Wales (NSW) at around 4 p.m. on Oct. 10.
The 31-year-old Cowan, residing on the 7th floor of the building, was not home at the time of the incident. But, after hearing the terrible news, he reportedly raced to reach his place.
"It's a really nice communal BBQ area that has somehow come ablaze," Cowan said.
"My terrace is directly below where the fire was. I think it's gone but I'm hoping it's fine. It's fantastic view up there of all of Sydney."
Neighboring resident Liam Cotter of the second floor, 63, claimed the flames were terrifying.
"I just heard the alarm go off and my neighbor said the building's on fire everyone must get out." Cotter said.
"The flames were huge. It was very scary but by the time I got out the firefighters were already shooting water at it, they were very efficient."
The NSW Fire and Rescue team responded quickly after receiving reports of smoke rising from the eight-storey apartment building near Centennial Park in Sydney. They reportedly dispatched 10 fire and rescue crews on the scene, which included more than 50 firefighters.
According to NSW Fire and Rescue Commissioner Greg Mullins, one man was trapped in the stairwell so he had to be rescued.
"There was one person stuck in the fire stairs a bit concerned for their safety who didn't know whether to go up or go down but firefighters helped that person to safety," Mullins said.
Investigators said the source of the blaze was a timber decking of a communal area on the apartment's roof. Mixed with the extreme temperature in Sydney, it was enough to ignite a fire.
"It was a timber decking BBQ area with lots of plastic chairs and plants but lots of timber," Mullins said.
"There's metal that's melted that gives you an idea of the heat."
Luckily, no one was injured in the fire because all of the 57 units in the building, including Cowan's house, were immediately evacuated. There will be ongoing investigations on this incident.
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