Bulimba fire a savage blow for young family

It’s been two weeks since fire destroyed Gavin Duncanson and Anastasia Hastings’ Brisbane home. Now, despite the heartache, the kindness of strangers is helping them rebuild.

An explosion followed by fire destroyed the Bulimba home. Photo. supplied.

Scooting along a bike path in Bulimba at the weekend anyone would think Gavin Duncanson and Anastasia Hastings’ two young boys were just like other children their age out enjoying the perfect winter weather.

Except it’s obvious when they stop to talk, to ask why their parents are speaking about the fire that almost claimed their lives less than two weeks ago, they are suffering deeply.

Beyond the brave faces there are nightmares and grief, floods of tears and all the uncertainty that comes with losing everything.

The horror of a home bursting into flames.

“Our world just changed in an instant,” Mr Duncanson said.

In seconds fire spread through the 10-year-old Bulimba home. Photo. Supplied.

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On July 14 fire tore through the young Bulimba family’s home, instantly turning decades of memories to ash and ripping apart their lives and sense of safety.

Only a “barrage of kindness” has kept the family from being consumed by the loss.

From a box of towels dropped off by a school mum and cupcakes made for the boys by the local fire officers to a neighbour who put $100 into Mr Duncanson’s hand with a heartfelt plea to ‘take it’, the young family has found the actions of community since their home exploded “very humbling”.

“The last twelve months has been pretty tough for us on a number of fronts and this (the fire) was a cruel savage blow,” Mr Duncanson said.

“Standing in the ashes telling the fire investigators how you lived your life in the house .. it’s tough.”

“But the outpouring of support … we’ve been and continue to be emotionally overwhelmed by it all.”

“We are beyond grateful.”

Bulimba fire family are thanking the community for helping through such a tough time after they lost everything in a recent house fire. Photo. Andrea Macleod

The family was offered a place to stay in the short term by a local property developer, scooters were delivered for the boys as well as school uniforms and household items.

“I’d never been so happy to see a box of towels,” Ms Hastings said.

“It’s been a barrage of acts of kindness in a really difficult time.”

“I find myself saying I can’t take this and people just say yes you can.”

With the trauma of having to literally run for their lives, as the upper level of their 10-year-old home exploded, the family are taking it all “day by day, minute by minute”.

“I think we were zombies last week. I don’t really remember last week,” Ms Hastings said.

The tragedy is being keenly felt by the couple’s sons who, having grown up in the house, simply want to ‘go home’.

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The fire spread across the top floor of the Bulimba home. Picture: Liam Kidston.

Struggling to come to terms with the enormity of their loss, Ms Hastings said it was all the little things that could never be replaced that hurt most deeply.

Little things like the boy’s baby clothes stored lovingly, their teddy bears that would be taken on family holidays and more than two decades of memories, from the days when photos came in hard copies and on film, that all perished.

“I loved everything I had it wasn’t always expensive stuff but it was special to me,” Ms Hastings said.

“ .. we lived in a lovely home and I guess it is cliche where people say next time I’m going to be so grateful, every day, for everything I have … I thought I was but now ..... ”

The family, who have been living in a display home, are still looking for a new place to live.

“It’s like where do you start?” Mr Duncanson said.

“We literally got out with the clothes on our backs.”

The young boys and their dog fled their Bulimba home as fire engulfed the two storey property. Photo. Andrea Macleod.

Despite the trauma, the couple both agreed the fire had made many friends re-evaluate their own safety.

“I’m sorry we’re the ones to make the awareness but this has made many people look at their insurance, they are getting fire proof safes, photographing things, digitising hard copies,” Ms Hastings said.

“I should have probably done that but do you think your house is going to blow up? No.”

A Go Fund Me has been set up to help the family.