Cessnock fire: Autistic teen dies in horrific house fire while trying to keep warm

An autistic boy has tragically died after falling asleep next to an indoor heater, causing his pillow to catch fire.

Jack Bajric, 16, died in a horrific house fire in Cessnock in the NSW Hunter Valley on sunday evening.

Firefighters pulled Jack from the burning house, but he died at the scene despite desperate attempts by emergency services to resuscitate the teenager.

Authorities suspect that the pillow Jack was lying on in front of the heater in the living room while trying to stay warm suddenly caught fire while he was sleeping.

Firefighters also suspect that the fire alarm in the home was not working.

Jack’s nine-year-old sister Tylah was also inside when the family’s home went up in flames, but she managed to escape with the help of a teenage friend.

The tragedy has prompted an outpouring of tributes to Jack.

“I hope you’re having a blast up there,” reads a heartbreaking note left outside the destroyed house.

You will be missed.

“I didn’t deserve to leave like that.”

A family member told 9News that he was ‘a handsome boy with a big smile’.

Jack Bajric, 16, died after falling asleep in front of an indoor heater at his family home on Alkira Avenue in Cessnock, in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales, at 10pm on Sunday

Emergency services were able to get him out of the house, but were unable to revive him. He died on the front lawn.

She added that Jack’s death was “overwhelming and devastating.”

“He was a happy, cheerful little creature, loved life and the water,” she said.

When Jack’s mother arrived at the house later, she learned that her son had died. She was comforted by the neighbors who had arrived and tried to help.

“People tried to help, but there was a lot of flames coming out of the house,” said Fire Chief James Downey.

When the house caught fire, the temperature had dropped to 3 degrees Celsius.