Family flee house on Columbus Dr, Hollywell engulfed by fire - EV car charging probed

A Gold Coast family with young children have fled for their lives as an intense fire tore through their home with a probe into the cause looking at electric vehicle charging. Read what happened.

A family home was gutted by fire on Columbus Dr, Hollywell with multiple explosions reported. Picture: Charlton Hart.

Authorities are investigating whether a charging electric vehicle may have been the cause of fire at a Hollywell home which forced a father and his three children to run for their lives.

Witnesses reported hearing multiple explosion from a garage at the property on Columbus Dr just before 11pm on Sunday.

Superintendent Brett Jackson said fire investigators believe the likely cause was a Kia electric vehicle which was charging at the time - the owners reported receiving a fault notification from the car before the flames took hold.

“This is an opportunity to remind people that have an electric vehicle, whether it is a bicycle or car, to make sure they practice safety and follow instructions as best they can,” he said.

“However, in this situation we don’t have any information to suggest there was any wrongdoing in relation to the owners of that vehicle.”

Neighbour Nathan Wall recalled hearing a high-pitched explosion as the property caught alight.
“I was upstairs and the whole house shook,” Mr Wall said.

“I have looked out the upstairs window and I actually thought it was our house that was on fire. My wife and I have just grabbed the kids and run across the road and come out to find next door’s house completely out of control with flames.”

A neighbour stands on the driveway of the Hollywell property taking in the damage. Picture: Charlton Hart.

It’s understood the property was rented by a couple with three young children. The mother, a paramedic who was on shift called home after the fire broke out. The father and children all escaped unscathed.

The same can't be said for their belongings, incinerated by the intense blaze with the home extensively damaged with parts of the roof caving in.

Mr Wall added: “The man who lives there, his car is an EV and he said there was eight battery terminals in the car and he reckons all of them must have exploded separately because there was multiple massive explosions.

“One of our other neighbours was trying to get on top of the fence to help with a hose to douse the fire and he’s fallen and broken his leg. Everyone was trying to do their best.

“At the end of the day everyone is OK, they’re alive and weren’t seriously injured, all of the possessions can be replaced, you can’t ask for more than that.”

A family home was gutted by fire on Columbus Dr, Hollywell with multiple explosions reported. Picture: Charlton Hart.

A father and his three kids had to run for their lives from the Columbus Dr, Hollywell property. Picture: Charlton Hart.

A Queensland Fire Department spokeswoman said five crews attended the blaze which was “well involved” with flames when they arrived on scene.

It took close to an hour for firefighters to bring the inferno under control and another 15 minutes before it was then extinguished. Crews remained at the property till 1.45am on Monday cooling hotspots and ensuring the scene was safe.

Fire investigators arrived at the home later in the morning and began surveying the damage.

Originally published as Family flee house on Columbus Dr, Hollywell engulfed by fire - EV car charging probed