Morning phone alarm wakes woman to burning home as smoke detectors fail in Melbourne home

A woman who was sleeping as her Melbourne home caught fire on Friday morning was woken by neither smoke nor smoke detector — but by her phone alarm.

When the alarm rang out just before 7am the woman was able to flee the burning home on Kirkbride Wy at Craigieburn.

The single-storey brick home was “well alight” and fire had “taken hold in over half of the house” when firefighters arrived just minutes later, Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) said.

A candle inside the home was found to have started the blaze.

“The house had smoke alarms installed but it is believed they were not in working order at the time of the fire,” FRV said.

The Craigieburn woman was alone in the house at the time of the fire.

She suffered smoke inhalation and was treated at the scene by Victoria Ambulance paramedics.

The fire was brought under control within 17 minutes, as 33 firefighters worked to extinguish it.

“FRV crews donned breathing apparatus and began an internal attack on the fire,” FRV said.

“Firefighters will remain on scene for some time to ensure the fire is fully extinguished.”