Resident dies after nursing home fire

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Resident dies after nursing home fire

AN elderly resident of an Inverloch nursing home has died after a fire last week.
JD21SeahavenFire04The resident of Domain Seahaven Aged Care Facility was taken to hospital after a fire on Thursday resulted in the whole facility being evacuated.
That was the news delivered to the public by Gary Barnier, the managing director of Domain Principal Group (DPG), which owns the hostel.
“Of the people who were evacuated, one who was gravely ill at the time and in palliative care, was taken to hospital with smoke inhalation and passed away,” he said.
“Details of the terminally ill resident have not been released in respect to the privacy of the resident and family. Our thoughts and condolences are extended to the family at this time.”
CFA volunteers rescued two more elderly residents from a fire at the home.
Inverloch CFA captain Allan Williamson and first lieutenant Rob Higgins braved the smoke filled Domain Seahaven nursing home to find and rescue two residents unaccounted for.
“It was very confronting,” Capt Williamson said.
“We had to do BA (breathing apparatus) and go in with nil visibility, with all the water pouring on us, and all the smoke and all the other stuff we have to deal with. It was very, very daunting.”
The two residents were taken to safety after being rescued by the CFA and four residents, including the now deceased, and two staff members were transported to Wonthaggi Hospital and treated for smoke inhalation.
The 107 residents that live at the facility were evacuated after the fire was noticed around 9.15am.
The fire was contained to one room and Capt Williamson said automatic fire detection sprinklers extinguished most of the flames.
“By the time we got there, the fire was almost extinguished but we had to get the two missing residents out,” he said.
Inverloch CFA was first on the scene followed by units from Pound Creek, Wonthaggi, Leongatha and Korumburra, along with ambulance and police.
“After we got the fire out, it was just ventilation of the building and isolating the water and cleaning out as much water as we could for the residents,” Capt Williamson said.
“We were called back about 2pm to extinguish a small smouldering piece of insulation in the ceiling, and later on that evening we were called back to supply lighting for the police and forensic team as they tried to determine the cause of the fire.”
The fire is believed to have been caused by an electrical fault and is being investigated by detectives from Bass Coast Crime Investigation Unit.
Mr Barnier said the majority of residents were returned to the facility that day.
“Seventy-nine (residents) were returned to their rooms on the same day, with the remaining 31 accommodated at nearby facilities operated by DPG or other providers,” he said.
“Twelve residents living in the Dolphin wing are expected to return to the facility within a week. The dementia facility which accommodated 19 residents is expected to be closed for three to four months.
“The cost to repair the facility is still being assessed and the cause of the fire is still under investigation.”
Mr Barnier would like to thank the emergency services for their efforts.
“On behalf of our staff, residents and their loved ones, I’d like to thank the emergency service workers and broader community members who came to our aid last week,” he said.
“I would also like to recognise our staff members who supported our residents and ensured they received appropriate care.”
Cashin Street was blocked for the duration of the incident, with assistance from Bass Coast Highway Patrol and State Traffic Taskforce personnel.

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Posted by on Jan 21 2014. Filed under Featured, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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