Lack said having working smoke alarms had saved her life.
"They woke her up as she slept in her bedroom on the first floor . . . she had an alternative escape plan. This was to exit through her bedroom window, onto an escape landing and exterior ladder.
"She would never have got out the main (interior) stairwell, the fire was coming up there," Lack said.
The fire was a reminder to everyone to make sure they have working smoke alarms and alternative escape plans. It also was a warning to be aware about the risk of older buildings, he said.
Being an older building made of wood, it had been a "fire bomb" awaiting ignition. "You have got an increased risk because of all that dry fuel, and also because of the design and the way those buildings were built," Lack said.