A father and son are “extremely lucky to be alive” after escaping from their burning home at Karoola on Tuesday morning.
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The son woke up to an alarm about 4.30am and discovered the house was filling with smoke.
Running to his father’s room to wake him up, the pair then managed to escape from the blaze before calling triple-0.
By the time Tasmania Fire Service arrived at the Karoola Road property, the house was engulfed in flames.
Three crews worked to contain the fire, removing gas cylinders from the home and fighting the flames from the outside.
It was under control within about 20 minutes, but the house was destroyed.
The father and son were checked by ambulance officers at the scene, but were not injured.
Both Tasmania Police detectives and Tasmania Fire Service investigators were at the scene on Tuesday.
Investigations revealed the fire was a result of “combustible materials being placed too close to a wood heater”.
The damage has been estimated at nearly $400,000.
Tasmania Fire Service officer Craig Burrows said it was a timely reminder for Tasmanians to ensure their homes were fitted with working smoke alarms.
“This smoke alarm saved these people’s lives,” he said.
“Had the smoke alarm not been in there and working, it would have been a completely different story.
“People need to make sure they regularly check their smoke alarms, make sure they are working properly – it’s a proven fact that people that do have smoke alarms, survive these house fires.”
Regional Fire Investigation officer Anthony Goss said it was also a reminder to take care when heating homes, particularly ahead of winter.
"As the months become cooler and we rely more heavily on heating our homes, we urge people to ensure that all flammable items are a minimum of two metres from any heating source,” Mr Goss said.
Smoke alarm safety advice from Tasmania Fire Service includes testing the alarms monthly, vacuuming them every six months to remove dust and replacing batteries annually. Alarms should be completely replaced after 10 years. They also advise all Tasmanians to have a fire escape plan.
For more information on fire safety, visit www.fire.tas.gov.au.