Dad’s priceless memories lost as e-scooter inferno destroys home

A disability pensioner is heartbroken after a raging e-scooter fire destroyed his home, taking with it irreplaceable photos of his late son and nearly all his possessions.

Disability pensioner Darryl Hurst, pictured with his son Tye Hurst, is facing unimaginable heartbreak after his family home in South Townsville was reduced to ash and rubble in a devastating fire sparked by an e-scooter explosion on Monday. Picture: Shae Beplate.

A South Townsville disability pensioner has lost irreplaceable photos of his late son in a devastating house fire caused by an e-scooter explosion.

Darryl Hurst, 57, was about to go to bed on Monday night when he heard a “big loud bang.”

An e-scooter charging in the downstairs garage of his two-storey home on Sixth St had exploded, sparking a fire that quickly engulfed the entire house.

Although the family is grateful to have escaped unharmed, they are now left in shock, facing the grim reality that they’ve lost everything.

The house, which had been in their family of almost 40 years, is now a charred ruin.

The family has been left without clothes or even basic items like a mobile phone.

However, the most heartbreaking loss for Mr Hurst was the destruction of precious photographs of his late son — memories that can never be replaced.

Disability pensioner Darryl Hurst, pictured with his son Tye Hurst, is facing unimaginable heartbreak after his family home in South Townsville was reduced to ash and rubble in a devastating fire sparked by an e-scooter explosion on Monday. Picture: Shae Beplate.

Tye Hurst, Darryl’s son, hopes their tragedy serves as a warning to others about the dangers of charging e-scooters.

This isn’t the first time the family has been affected by an e-scooter-related incident; in January, Tye’s wife’s cousin, Richard Cooper, tragically died after a crash involving an e-scooter in Townsville City.

Darryl, who was injured in a scaffolding accident at Castle Hill years ago, now faces the challenge of rebuilding his life from scratch.

“It’s going to be a challenge to rebuild, but as they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day. We’ll just have to take it bit by bit,” Tye said.

Despite their overwhelming loss, the Hurst family is grateful for the support they’ve received from neighbours, including Rikki Beetham, who launched a GoFundMe campaign.

Donated items are also being accepted at Smith Marine Services on Boundary St, Railway Estate, to help the family rebuild their lives.

You can help here: https://gofund.me/5d7cf027

Originally published as Dad’s priceless memories lost as e-scooter inferno destroys home