Inferno destroys home
Fire crews save other properties
A FIRE which destroyed a Crows Nest home and left a man with nothing could have been worse had it not been for neighbours who raised the alarm early.
The Park Lane home caught alight about 7.20m on Thursday, with nearby residents making multiple calls to 000.
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Inspector Peter Bradow said the early alert to the fire, and rapid response from firefighters, had saved other properties.
“Crews worked frantically to protect the other houses on all sides,” he said.
“One house on the western side had some heat damage which was expected due to the intensity of the fire.
“Crews did an exceptional job preventing other houses from going up.”
It is understood the man, who owned the home, was not at the property at the time when it caught fire.
Despite four walls still standing on the structure, Inspector Bradow said the entire contents were lost, and the home was destroyed.
He said neighbours reported hearing a noise and looked outside to find the property on fire, and phoned 000.
“Had this fire occurred in the wee hours of the morning, there would be fewer persons around to see the fire,” he said.
“This in itself has assisted in having other properties preserved.
“It’s a reminder to people that working smoke alarms do save lives, as well as reporting fires early, and can save other properties.”
Initial investigations had suggested an electrical fault caused the fire.
However, QFES fire investigators at the property yesterday were unable to definitively determine the cause, but it is not considered suspicious.