Family 'turned upside down' after man critically injured by robot vacuum

Perth man Lachie Perrem critically injured in robot vacuum fire Tue 7 Jul 2026 at 4:58pm In short: Lachie Perrem was critically injured and suffered burns to 75 per cent of his body when a robot vacuum caught fire at his Perth home. The vacuum cleaner is one of a number of items seized from the home by authorities. His family say they've been left with significant hospital and rehabilitation costs. The family of a Perth man critically injured when a robot vacuum caught fire at his home say their lives have been "turned upside down" by the "horrific" incident. Lachie Perrem remains in the intensive care unit of a Perth hospital, having suffered burns to about 75 per cent of his body, according to his family. The fire, which broke out last Thursday at Mr Perrem's home in the north-eastern suburb of Brabham, was "due to a fault in a robotic vacuum cleaner", investigators at the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) said. The model of the vacuum is not known. Authorities confirmed a triple-zero call was made from the house at around 5pm, and four firefighting crews attended. The vacuum cleaner is one of a number of items seized from the home currently being tested by officers from the Department of Local Government Industry Regulation and Safety (DLGIRS). However, in apparent contradiction of DFES, DGLIRS warned in a statement that it "is too early to draw any conclusions about the cause or source of the fire." "Investigators are examining a range of factors to determine the origin and ignition source of the fire," it said. Long road to recovery Mr Perrem "is facing an incredibly long road ahead, with multiple surgeries, extensive medical treatment, rehabilitation, and months of recovery", Lachie's mother Fiona Perrem, said on social media. "Our family has been turned upside down after my beloved son was critically injured in a tragic explosion at his home," she wrote. "The explosion has also left Lachie, his fiancée, and their housemates without a home. "Along with his long road to recovery, they now face the heartbreaking task of rebuilding their lives from scratch. Mr Perrem's fiancee Bri Thompson shared her pain on social media, saying the last few days had been "completely unimaginable". "Our entire life has changed in a matter of moments and everything has been incredibly intense and overwhelming. My heart's completely shattered." She said Mr Perrem was "genuinely the most giving person there is" and "always the first to put his hand up, the first to help and would never expect anything in return". A spokesperson for South Metropolitan Health confirmed Mr Perrem remained in a critical condition in hospital. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, which is the peak regulator for product safety, said it did not usually comment on complaints or reports it received. "If a business identifies that a product they supply is unsafe, they should follow the ACCC's guidelines to undertake a voluntary recall and notify the ACCC," it said in a statement. There have been no voluntary recalls of robotic vacuum cleaners listed on the ACCC's product safety recall website since the accident.