Heartbroken family after teen dies of asthma attack caused by Australian bush fires

Courtney Partridge-McLennan, 19, (pictured) died at her parent's home in Glen Innes, NSW, where blazes have been raging since September. Photo / Facebook

A family has been left devastated by the death of a teenager who suffered an asthma attack caused by the unrelenting bush fires in Australia.

Courtney Partride-McLennan, 19, died at her parents' home in Glen Innes, New South Wales, where the fire has been burning since September.

The teen lived in a granny flat at the back of the family home.

She suffered an asthma attack and died in the night.

Her body was found by her family the following morning, on November 29.

Courtney, who was one of six children, suffered from asthma all her life but it had never been severe.

"I don't want to take away from victims on the frontline, but death by poor air quality needs to be known," said her sister Cherylleigh, 27.

"She was not a severe asthmatic. Mum and Dad are lost but they want other families to read this and take extra steps for asthmatics."

Courtney had hoped to go on to study youth work and spent much of her life working with young people in leadership camps.

"That night the smoke came in so heavy you could not even see the hospital across the road," her sister recalled.

The CEO of Asthma Australia has warned more lives will likely be lost.

"It is something we would like to focus on to better understand the number of people who have lost their lives due to respiratory issues triggered by the bush fires," Michele Goldman said.

Australians have been breathing dangerous levels of smoke and some particles are small enough to enter the lungs.