Fire destroys elderly couple’s home

AN ELDERLY Darling Downs couple has lost everything after a fire destroyed their home about midnight Thurday.

Dalby police said the couple was woken by a noise in the laundry of their Dalby-Jandowae Rd home, finding the fire near a refrigerator and freezer in the laundry.

With no electricity to run their water pump, the couple’s attempts to put out the fire were unsuccessful.

They left the house for safety and awaited emergency services which arrived to see the house engulfed.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services firefighters worked to control the blaze until 3.35am but could not save the house or property including a car.

They also worked to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby buildings.

The Dalby couple, who have lived at the house for more than 20 years, had electricity reconnected to a donga at the property yesterday morning.

Their children and grandchildren joined them at the home to offer support.

The couple said they had insurance.

Fire investigators and crew returned to the scene yesterday to put out a number of hot-spots that had reignited.

Police said the fire was not being treated as suspicious.

DESTROYED: A farmhouse near the old Dalby dump on Dalby-Jandowae Rd was destroyed by a fire, believed to have started in the laundry.

The owners’ car was destroyed along with the house in Dalby.