Ballarat Fire Brigade senior station officer Bernie Fradd said fire crews could have been dealing with a fatality if it wasn’t for the actions of one of the occupants of the house. 

The male occupant dragged the woman from the house just after 7pm before using a fire extinguisher on the blaze, which started in the kitchen.

“The lady was cooking some food and left it unattended,” Mr Fradd said. 

“The rangehood and part of the kitchen caught on fire and the house was smoke-damaged.”

Fire crews were forced to administer first aid before an ambulance arrived on the scene. 

The woman was in a stable condition and taken to Ballarat Base Hospital. 

The fire started in the kitchen after the woman left a stove unattended, according to Mr Fradd, who said the fire provided a warning for people to be very careful while using a stove. 

“Just a general warning not to leave cooking unattended, she was cooking with oil and was sort of distracted,” Mr Fradd said.

“So it was a very good save by the guys.”

Meanwhile, the CFA is reminding farmers to be extra vigilant during the harvesting period after a spate of fires caused by headers in the past week.

Chief officer Euan Ferguson says while CFA understands the importance of cropping and harvesting, farmers need to be aware of their surrounding conditions and have the correct equipment with them at all times.

“While harvesting can still go ahead during the fire danger period, it’s important farmers monitor the weather conditions closely throughout the day,” he said.

matthew.dixon@fairfaxmedia.com.au