‘Terrifying’: Neighbour steps up as fire guts house

The scorched Stanthorpe property has been declared a crime scene as investigations begin.

IT COULD be days before firefighters know the official cause of the fire that gutted a Stanthorpe property this afternoon.

A fire investigator will arrive to uncover the official cause of the 17 Hillcrest St fire either today or tomorrow, according to Warwick Station officer Gavin Blissner.

Crews from both Warwick and Stanthorpe rushed to the scene at 12.05pm where a one-storey building was fully engulfed by flames.

 

Hillcrest St house destroyed by fire this afternoon.

 

Mr Blissner said his team arrived 40 minutes into the blaze to help the two Stanthorpe crews.

"The crews were confronted with a single-level house fire. It was quite well involved on the (left hand side)," he said.

"Unfortunately, the house has been very severely damaged.

"Thankfully, no persons were hurt in the fire, including firefighters."

 

Hillcrest St house destroyed by fire this afternoon.

 

Next-door neighbour Cathy Beckett was the one to alert Stanthorpe fireys after hearing a huge bang.

"I went and looked through bathroom window and this side of the house, all the flames were coming out and I said to my husband, 'the house is on fire'," Mrs Beckett said.

"It is terrifying for us because it was blowing our way.

"I'm too old to lose my house. I couldn't."

 

Hillcrest St house destroyed by fire this afternoon.

 

Mrs Beckett said she believed someone was currently residing there, but didn't see anyone in the house.

"A lot of the neighbours came, helping with hoses and whatever," she said.

"Once the fire brigade came here, I felt safe. But it is a worry when it is that close."

The home will be classified as a crime scene until the investigation begins.

Originally published as