A quick-thinking teenager from the Hunter region has become a local hero after rescuing his 92-year-old neighbour from a terrifying house fire that erupted in the Newcastle suburb of Thornton earlier this month.
The Moment of Crisis
On November 13, 2025, 13-year-old Luke Mullard was riding the bus home from Francis Greenway High School when he spotted thick smoke billowing from a nearby property. As he looked closer, he saw 92-year-old Roma Wilson trapped between the front and backyard of her burning home, desperately calling for help.
While many might have frozen in such a situation, Luke immediately sprang into action. He got off the bus and rushed toward the property where flames were already consuming the house and a car parked out front.
The Dramatic Rescue
Ms Wilson recalled the terrifying moments before her rescue. 'I was sitting watching TV, I heard what I thought was a knock on the front door which I thought was the postie,' she said. 'I opened it, no parcel and nothing there, so I just closed it again, but I could smell smoke and I could feel heat.'
When she realized her home was on fire, she began calling for assistance. That's when Luke appeared, running up her lawn to help. The Year 7 student took the struggling woman by the arm and guided her to safety just moments before a massive explosion rocked the property.
'We sat her down onto a chair ... and then probably five or 10 minutes later, the firies came, that's when the whole roof was on fire,' Luke recounted.
Life Goes On for a Humble Hero
After ensuring Ms Wilson was safe and emergency services had arrived, Luke simply walked home, greeted his mother, had a quick snack, and prepared for his scheduled five-hour shift at Pizza Hut.
Initially, Luke downplayed his heroic actions, telling his mother he had merely called Triple Zero. It wasn't until speaking with a detective that his mother learned the full extent of what her son had done.
The fire, which required six Fire and Rescue NSW crews and a duty commander to bring under control, was later determined to have been sparked by a lithium-ion battery - devices known to cause fast-burning blazes.
In a touching postscript to the rescue, Luke returned to check on Ms Wilson after his Pizza Hut shift, where she offered him money that he politely declined. The two discovered they were tangentially related through family connections.
Ms Wilson calls Luke her 'hero' and says she doesn't know where she'd be without his quick intervention. While Luke received a day off school and recognition from his community, he maintains his humble perspective on the extraordinary events.
'I was really proud of myself as well,' he said. 'It's a little bit weird as well, because it's that sort of thing that you don't really come to school and you get called a hero.'
