It was the Upper Hunter tragedy that made national headlines.
Now, three years later, the fearless actions of firefighters who responded to a fatal house fire in Singleton have been recognised.
In the early hours of 26 June 2019, crews from the Singleton and Branxton Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) stations responded to an emergency incident in Brittliffe Close.
Upon arrival, they found a single-storey home well alight with flames and smoke issuing from the front windows and roof.
There were also reports of young children on the premises.
Faced with extremely dangerous conditions, three firefighters entered the property to conduct a search and rescue while others began attacking the blaze.
Two youngsters, twin five-year-old girls, were rescued but, heartbreakingly, they lost their lives a short time later.
A third, an 11-year-old boy, was found dead inside the home after the fire was extinguished.
The mother and another child, an 8-year-old girl, managed to escape, however they suffered burns and smoke inhalation.
That tragic event changed so many lives within the community.
But, on Wednesday night, at a special ceremony at the Singleton Fire Station, 22 firefighters were honoured for their heroics.
Hugh Miles (Rutherford), Christopher Taylor (Singleton) and Mitchell Tull (Singleton) each received a Unit Commendation for Courageous Action.
Recipients of the Unit Commendation for Meritorious Service included Captain Bruce Ambrose (Singleton), Deputy Captain Joseph Adamthwaite (Singleton), Deputy Captain Jon Deaves (Singleton), Deputy Captain Ian Stevenson (Branxton), senior firefighters Garth Faine (Emergency Services Academy) and Glen Whittorn (Emergency Services Academy), as well as on-call firefighters Jason Carter (Singleton), Gregg Dann (Singleton), Luke Davis (Singleton), John Gilbert (Singleton), Darren Hamilton (Singleton), Scott Kidd (Singleton), John Bridge (Kurri Kurri), Tracey Malloch (Branxton), Steven Murrell (Branxton), Adam Pozywio (Branxton), Nathan Rule (Branxton) and Luke Turner (Branxton).
Singleton’s Andrew Porters also secured the Commissioner’s Certificate of Appreciation.
Upper Hunter MP Dave Layzell said each firefighter had put their lives at risk to save the young family.
“Their actions went beyond the call of duty and I’m immensely proud of the bravery they showed on the day of this dreadful incident,” he explained.
“As a community, we ask more of firefighters than we would ask of ourselves and, time and again, they deliver.”
FRNSW Commissioner Paul Baxter said the firefighters were a credit to both FRNSW and the communities they protect and serve.
“They exemplify the proud legacy of courageous service that is the hallmark of NSW firefighters,” he stated.
“As on-call firefighters, the recipients demonstrated their selfless commitment to protecting the irreplaceable in the communities in which they live.”
The 2019 incident was also the catalyst for FRNSW’s introduction of its safety visits program.
This fire prevention and education initiative involves firefighters visiting homes to deliver critical fire safety advice and installing free smoke alarms.
Following the disaster, firefighters visited hundreds of homes in Singleton to ensure there was at least one working smoke alarm in every property and provided advice to residents on how to reduce the risks of fire.
For more news stories:
