A mother and her baby are recovering after a frightening ordeal in South Coogee this morning, when a fire broke out in their Malabar Road apartment complex and left them stranded three storeys up with no way out.
The blaze began in a ground floor unit at around 7.20am on Friday and spread rapidly up the building’s exterior. With smoke quickly filling the stairwells, the mother found herself unable to escape and was seen calling for help from a third floor window while holding her infant.
Neighbours sprang into action before emergency services arrived, attempting to reach the pair using ladders. The effort, while determined, fell short — the height of the third floor proved too much, and the density of the smoke inside the building made an internal rescue too dangerous to attempt.
Footage of the incident, which has since circulated widely, captured the urgency of the situation. Witnesses described the mother as visibly distressed but composed under extraordinary pressure, keeping her child close throughout the ordeal.
Fire and Rescue NSW crews arrived and extinguished the fire within 12 minutes, before bringing both mother and child to safety. The two were assessed and treated on scene for smoke inhalation.
Police officers who attended also assisted in evacuating other residents from the building. A 45-year-old man was taken to Surry Hills Police Station for questioning but was later released without charge. A crime scene has been established at the property as investigations continue.
The eastern suburbs community has been left shaken by the incident, though many have noted that the swift response of neighbours and emergency services almost certainly prevented a far worse outcome.
Published 6-February-2026
