A FIRE at his Armadale home on Christmas Day threatened to ruin the holiday season for local man Maurie Enright.
But thanks to the timing of two Armadale police officers, only his kitchen suffered damage.
Mr Enright said he was sitting in his garden enjoying drinks with a friend when he heard a loud noise.
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READ NOW“I just thought it was some kids kicking the neighbours’ fence again,” Mr Enright said.
When he heard police sirens he thought they were chasing the young miscreants. Instead, two police officers sprinted through his garden.
“I yelled out ‘what are you doing?’ and one of them said ‘do you know your house is on fire?’.”
Mr Enright said he didn’t believe them until he rushed inside to find his kitchen ablaze.
“It was only then we remembered a pan of cooking oil had been left on the stove when we’d gone to get a drinks refill,” he said.
The officers then attempted to remove Mr Enright from the building but he refused.
“I had a mint condition Toyota Hilux 1986 in the garage; no way was I losing that,” he said.
Firefighters soon arrived and put out the blaze.
Mr Enright was fully insured and last week had a new kitchen installed.
“If those police officers had not spotted the fire and acted quickly my whole house would have burnt down,” Mr Enright said.
“I just want to thank the police and the firefighters. They’re the real heroes.”