Sunshine Coast firefighters battle Nirimba townhouse blaze

Watch massive flames coming from a townhouse that two people escaped from because of the heroic efforts of their neighbours.

Two people escaped a blaze that destroyed a Sunshine Coast townhouse as neighbours battled the fire with garden hoses until emergency services arrived.

The fire began in an Olivia Cres townhouse, part of a 15-building complex, in Nirimba about 7.20pm on Saturday.

Olivia Cres resident Michael Wade has lived in the street for about four months and said his wife heard the smoke alarm going off across the road.

He went to the door and saw flames coming out the front window of the townhouse across the road.

“I banged as hard as I could on the door to alert them and get them out of the house,” Mr Wade said.

Olivia Cres residents Michael Wade, who raised the alarm, and Sebastian Hutchins who supported the people fighting the fire. Picture: Letea Cavander

Two people were upstairs in the kitchen and unaware of the blaze downstairs. They escaped uninjured.

Mr Wade said four neighbours found two garden hoses and hooked them up “where we could” until the firefighters arrived.

Neighbours tried to save a townhouse that was destroyed in a blaze on Olivia Cres, Nirimba, on August 26.

“We just kept it going for 10 minutes until the fireys arrived,” Mr Wade said.

Fellow neighbour Mike Walker, who lives next door to the townhouse that was destroyed, said the group “was winning” the battle against the fire by the time emergency services arrived.

“We pretty much got it,” Mr Walker said.

Mr Wade said the firefighters did “well” to make it from Caloundra to the Aura estate in 10 minutes.

Neighbours say the heat from the fire was so intense it burst a water pipe that ended up acting like a water sprinkler. Picture: Letea Cavander

Mr Walker said the heat from the fire was so intense a water pipe in a cavity melted and burst, which was a “saving grace” because it acted as sprinkler in the house.

On Sunday, Mr Walker was inspecting the damaged wall he shared with the destroyed townhouse.

Aluminium door and window frames were twisted from the intensity of the flames.

A townhouse was destroyed in Olivia Cres, Nirimba. Mr Walker’s wall was also damaged by the fire. Picture: Letea Cavander

A Queensland Fire and Emergency Service spokeswoman said firefighters in breathing apparatus searched the home.

“All persons were accounted for,” she said.

Mr Wade claimed if the neighbours had stood back and done nothing, the blaze would have spread to other homes.

“Lucky we all just jumped in and did what we needed to do,” he said.

“My next move was to put my shoulder through the door to break it down to see inside, who was in there.”

The spokeswoman said the firefighters were at the townhouse for a couple of hours, dampening down the fire and ventilating the building.

Paramedics were also called to the scene and no one needed treatment.

The cause of the fire has not been established but it is not being treated as suspicious.

This latest incident follows a house fire that destroyed a home in Tarver St, Aroona, on August 12.