Perth family lucky to be alive after electric blanket starts house fire

A Melville family has told of their terrifying close call after fire caused by an electric blanket gutted their home and saw three people from the home rushed to hospital.

Speaking at home after being discharged from hospital, Maria Goncalves said about 11pm on Friday night, she and her husband heard yelling coming from another room, and when they ran to help, Mrs Goncalves opened the door and saw flames.

She said she was terrified she would lose her 89-year-old mother.

“I went upstairs to see my mum but I couldn’t see anything it was so dark, and the smoke was really, really bad, I couldn’t breathe,” she said.

There were five people in the house. Francisco Goncalves and his son managed to get out his wife, Maria, mother-in-law and cousin, who were taken to hospital.

Mr Goncalves became emotional as he recounted seeing his wife and mother-in-law being treated.

“I still can’t believe what happened,” he said.

“This is because of the electric blanket.”

Mr Goncalves said he put a hose through one of the smashed windows to try and douse the flames before firefighters arrived.

Mrs Goncalves and her cousin were discharged from hospital today. Her mother remains at Fiona Stanley Hospital in a stable condition.