Nursing home fire victims remembered

Residents were evacuated to a makeshift triage area after the fire. Photo / AP

A walking frame. A wheelchair. A blanket that once warmed a frail body. A charred cross crafted from debris from the Quakers Hill nursing home.

They were all grim mementos.

The rain poured down as hundreds of mourners gathered in the Quakers Hill Anglican church on Wednesday to remember the nine elderly victims of last week's blaze.

It was a chance to grieve and reflect, but also to recognise the emergency workers, staff and ordinary people who rallied to help residents after Friday morning's tragedy.

"There were some amazing things that happened on Friday and we need to take that to our hearts," CEO of the Domain Principal Group that runs the nursing home, Gary Barnier, told mourners.

"People came from everywhere to say 'what can we do to help'.

"Neighbours ... rushed towards the danger, throwing blankets over their fences ... local stores came up here straight away to provide whatever sustenance that they could."

A little boy even brought in a box of chocolates.

Reverend Geoff Bates, who led the service, said the tragedy showed both the best and worst of humanity.

"Last Friday was a black Friday ... it brought enormous change to many people," Rev Bates said.

"We've seen both the beauty and the ugliness of humanity.

"We have witnessed the death and destruction of lives and of a community.

"And we are trying to make sense out of this and find comfort."

Hank Valkay, whose 90-year-old mother died on Tuesday following the blaze, paid tribute to the hard work of community members, staff and emergency workers.

"We don't know who brought my mum out, but from me and my family it is a big thank you," he told reporters after a memorial service.

He said the interfaith memorial was the beginning of the healing.

"Seeing the care and everyone showing their love and kindness to the families ... (the fire) might have brought the community a lot closer," he said.

Brett Johnson, who was the first firefighter on the scene, said the memorial was a demonstration of human spirit.

"It was unbelievable to see so many different groups of people all come together as one," he told reporters outside the memorial.

"It gives us that positivity we need when we face these sorts of tragedies."

The memorial service comes a day before 35-year-old registered nurse Roger Dean is due to face Sydney's Central Local Court, charged with multiple counts of murder.

Dean, who had only been working at the nursing home for a short time, did not apply for bail when he appeared via video link before a magistrate at Parramatta Bail Court on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the NSW government said it would try to identify which nursing homes were fitted with sprinkler systems after it emerged that the Quakers Hill home did not have any.

The Quakers Hill home, which was not fitted with a sprinkler system, was built before there was an Australian building code, Planning and Infrastructure Minister Brad Hazzard said.

- AAP