GoFundMe created for Jamie Ross and three children after blaze destroys Upper Coomera home
A single dad and his three children have “lost everything” after escaping a blaze that destroyed their Gold Coast home. Watch the video.
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The community is rallying to help a single dad and his three children who “lost everything” in a blaze that destroyed their Gold Coast home on Tuesday morning.
Emergency services were called to the house fire on Denise Drive in Upper Coomera at around 2.17am.
A Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) spokeswoman said they had six crews rush to the scene where a two-storey house was “well involved”.
A firefighter was struck in the head by an object as the roof collapsed while crews battled to bring the blaze under control.
Paramedics treated the man for a suspected head injury and he was taken to Gold Coast University Hospital in a stable condition as a precaution.
Occupants of the house believed the fire was started by an e-scooter stored in the living room.
A Gold Coast police spokesman said they were treating the fire as not suspicious but were waiting for more details from the investigator.
A GoFundMe was created around midday on Tuesday to help single father Jamie Ross and his three children get back on their feet.
“The family has lost everything they own in the blaze, managing only to escape in what they were wearing,” GoFundMe organiser Anthony Steinberg said.
“While we are profoundly grateful that everyone managed to escape unharmed.
“The emotional toll of losing their home and all their belongings is indescribable.”
Mr Steinberg said Mr Ross was known for his “warmth, generosity and unwavering support of this local community”.
“The fire took not only their home but their cherished possessions, including family photos, children’s toys, clothing and essential household items,” Mr Steinberg said.
He said the GoFundMe goal of $50,000 would help the family get back on their feet while they stayed with relatives.
“This includes securing temporary housing, purchasing clothing, basic necessities and beginning the process of rebuilding their home,” Mr Steinberg said.
Upper Coomera residents shared the moment they saw the “sky turn red” after an “explosion” while watching the house be engulfed in flames “in minutes”.
“We are directly opposite and heard the residents screaming to vacate,” Manoj K Sharma said.
“The explosions were scary with sparks everywhere.
“We saw residents fleeing the site and next-door residents started hoses to safeguard their own homes.”
Mr Sharma said by the time fire crews arrived “the house was an inferno” and there was “no hope to save it”.
Resident Tanya Etheridge said it was “one of the worst things” she had ever witnessed.
“I feel so sad for this family,” she said.
It was a busy morning for firefighters as three crews also attended a fire at a unit in an industrial estate in Burleigh Heads at 4.07am.
A QFES spokeswoman said one of the four units in the commercial property was “fully involved” when crews arrived.
The fire was under control by 4.27am and Gold Coast police declared a crime scene 30 minutes later.
A Gold Coast Police spokesman said they were waiting for the fire investigator to determine the cause of the fire. Investigations are ongoing.
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Originally published as GoFundMe created for Jamie Ross and three children after blaze destroys Upper Coomera home
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