Firefighters raced to a house fire in Bentleigh East, forcing one occupant to jump from a first-floor balcony to escape the flames, as the home was gutted.
The blaze broke out in the two-storey dual-occupancy residence on Forster Crescent at 11.17pm last night.
Thirty firefighters and five pumpers, with the response escalated to a second alarm, arrived on scene within seven minutes and established external firefighting lines to attack the blaze and stop the fire from spreading to adjoining properties.
Firefighting operations were initially hampered by a poor water supply.
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Five people managed to escape the fire, including a woman who jumped from the top floor of the townhouse.
Unfortunately, one residence of the 20m x 30m two-storey dual-occupancy structure has been destroyed in the blaze. Firefighters were able to minimise the damage to the adjoining residence.
The woman, who jumped about 3 metres from a second-story balcony, sustained leg and hip injuries.
The commanding Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) Fire Officer on scene, Rod Joyce, said that the structure of the building contributed to the rapid spread and intensity of the fire.
Two of the occupants were first treated by firefighters before paramedics arrived at the scene to convey the occupants to hospital.
The house sustained significant damage, but firefighters managed to keep the blaze contained to the one property.
Firefighters remain on scene, mopping up and checking for spot fires.
The cause of the blaze is unknown.
FRV Fire Investigators will investigate the cause this morning.
At this stage, the fire has not been deemed suspicious.
