Three people escape house fire at Cluden after smoke alarm fail

Three residents of a house that caught fire have been called lucky by firefighters after escaping from the burning building.

Fire extinguishers outside the house on Cluden which caught fire. PICTURE: MATT TAYLOR.

Three residents of a house that caught fire have been called lucky by firefighters after escaping from the burning building, despite no smoke alarms working.

The fire ripped through a house in Cluden early this morning.

Emergency crews were called to the fire on Forbes St about 2am after flames were seen coming from the rear of the house.

Three residents of a house that caught fire have been called lucky by firefighters after escaping from the burning building, despite no smoke alarms working. PICTURE: MATT TAYLOR.

“Good news, there were three people in the building and they managed to get out,” a Queensland Fire and Emergency Services spokeswoman said.

“They were very lucky.”

The QFES spokeswoman said none of the smoke alarms in the two-storey home were working.

Three firefighting crews attended the scene, and the fire was put out about 2.15am.

The QFES spokeswoman said the fire started in a bedroom before spreading.

“About 40 per cent of the building was damaged on the top floor,” she said.

The fire is not being treated as suspicious.

The occupants inside safely evacuated and were not injured in the fire.

People are reminded to check their smoke alarms work and should be making plans to install interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms.

The Cluden house fire was the third in Townsville in less than a week.

House fire victim Aaron Blake is now up on charges after allegedly obstructing an emergency worker. Picture: Alix Sweeney

On Sunday a Hermit Park home was destroyed. Resident Aaron Blake claimed he was treated like a “mongrel animal” when he was put in handcuffs and carted to the watch house after an emotional outburst as he watched his home burn down.

An old weatherboard house has been extensively damaged after flames engulfed the building. The fire on Mystic Ave, Balgal Beach, was the second house fire in Townsville in less than 48 hours. PICTURE: MATT TAYLOR.

An old weatherboard house on Mystic Ave, in Balgal Beach, was extensively damaged in a fire on Tuesday.

Hermit Park House Fire

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Originally published as Three people escape house fire at Cluden after smoke alarm fail