Person found dead in residence at Hale Street at South Burnie after fatal house fire

A neighbour has described the early morning chaos that descended on a suburban street in Tasmania’s North-West after a fire ripped through a house and claimed the life of its occupant.

South Burnie fatal house fire. July 15, 2024. Picture: Simon McGuire

Tragedy struck the suburb of South Burnie in the state’s North-West after a body was found in a residence following a house fire.

Police confirmed on Monday that a person had died following a structure fire earlier that morning at 14 Hale Street, directly opposite the South Burnie Bowls Club.

Emergency services were called to a residence at 1:30am after police officers on a routine patrol saw the property on fire.

The Tasmania Fire Service (TFS) said that the house “was well alight” when crews arrived.

Police said that TFS crews took 15 minutes to put out the blaze, which caused extensive damage to the house.

Fire investigators, along with other emergency service personnel, spent the morning combing through the badly burnt residents.

The road in front of the house was closed to traffic, blocking the entrance to Hale Street via Wellington Street.

South Burnie fatal house fire. July 15, 2024. Picture: Simon McGuire

A woman who lived two doors down from where the fire took place, who wished to remain anonymous, said she was woken up by her dogs who were “really upset”.

“I heard two loud pops, but I originally thought they could have been car doors,” she said.

“I then saw the flashing lights through the glass on my front doors and thought ‘something was amiss’.

“There were more cop cars coming, and I walked out the front door to see what was going on.

“I stayed outside on the other side of the road watching. The windows burst and a lot of flames were coming out of the front porch.”

She said that she was not surprised that the occupant of the house died.

While police have not formally identified the person, the woman the Mercury spoke to said the person who lived in the house was a man in his 60s.

“He kept to himself mostly, but I ran into him on the street and spoke to him from time to time.

“I’ve been living on this street for about eight years and he had been here before I arrived. It was his daughter’s house and he had been renovating it over the last few years.

“He did a really nice job of it.”

Tasmania Police said a report would be prepared for the coroner.

Originally published as Person found dead in residence at Hale Street at South Burnie after fatal house fire