A nine-year-old Forster boy has been praised by local firefighters for his calm and clear-sighted response to a fire at his grandparent’s house.
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Corbin Niblett was alerted to the fire when he awoke at 5am to the sound of things exploding in the garden shed outside his window.
Upon seeing the shed in flames, Corbin hurried to his grandparent’s room.
“I said ‘Fire, fire, come on,’” the Forster Public School student said.
Corbin then dialled 000, and with the help of his grandmother, Diane Horsey, notified emergency services of the situation.
“He was quite calm and controlled,” Mrs Horsey said, who, along with husband Ken, worked to contain the flames until local firefighters arrived and put out the blaze.
Mrs Horsey said it was very fortunate that Corbin reacted the way he did as neither of the couple her heard anything from their room, which was located at the front of the house.
“The flames had just started licking the corner of the house when he set the alarm off,” she said.
“We're so grateful to him.”
Paul Langley was one of the firefighters who responded to the blaze and he agreed that Corbin had acted outstandingly.
“It was a great effort on his part,” he said.
“If it wasn’t for him being alerted by the explosions, it could’ve been a lot worse.”
The fire was thought to be started by an electrical fault with the pool control board at the back of the shed.
The majority of contents inside the shed were damaged beyond repair but Mr Horsey said their insurance provider had been quick to respond.
He really did a great job for his grandparents.
- Paul Langley
As for Corbin, he was given a well-earned day off school.
“I call him my little legend,” Mrs Horsey said.
“We’re lucky to have him.”