There is a good chance she was probably trying to rescue her much loved pet dogs. 

Jan was highly thought of in Gay Melbourne, she was an icon. She teamed up with Doug Lucas to run POKEYS for more than 13 years.  The venue featured Melbourne's Top Drag performers.  The Sunday night shows began in the late 70's and continued through till the early 90's.

Gay activist dies in house fire
Herald Sun
An activist for Melbourne's gay community was killed in a fire at her Caulfield home on Saturday (May 12).

Jan Hillier, 67, an outspoken advocate for gay rights and AIDS awareness, died with her two dogs after a bedroom heater caused about $60,000 damage to her Moore St house about 4.30am.

Shocked neighbours said Ms Hillier was a generous, outgoing and fun-loving friend.

They told of her giving neighbourhood children icy poles on hot days and of her love for her pets, Russell, a schnauzer, and Goggles, a shih tzu cross terrier.

Neighbour Eric Gaynor said his son, James, once asked Ms Hillier to sponsor him in a school walkathon. She talked her friends into adding to James' tally so that he raised $400 and won a new bike for collecting the most money.

Ms Hillier often hosted parties and raised the Australian flag in her front garden to celebrate events such as the AFL Grand Final and the Melbourne Cup.

"She was a fantastic, generous and interesting person," said neighbour Sue Hayward.

Ms Hillier became a gay activist in the 1960s and was among those who launched the gay bar scene in Melbourne.

She ran weekly dance nights and gay floor shows in hotels and discos.

Police said the batteries in the home's smoke detectors were flat.