Gold Coast house fire: How mother-of-three Holly Beckett escaped her Southport home

A Gold Coast mum has “lost everything” in a ferocious house fire that tore through her home in just minutes. HOW SHE ESCAPED >>>

• Named and shamed: Coast drug dealers exposed

A Gold Coast mum has “lost everything” in a ferocious house fire that took hold of the property in just minutes.

Mother-of-three Holly Beckett made it out of the house with only her phone and was forced to kick in the locked side gate to free her trapped dog, before the Southport property went up in flames.

“She doesn’t even have a pair of shoes,” Holly’s mother, Melinda Beckett, said.

“She’s obviously upset, but she’s strong. She’s just upset about (losing) all the kid’s things, all the memories that you can’t replace, and obviously not knowing where she’s going to live.”

SUPPORT HOLLY HERE

Ms Beckett lost photos of her children and deceased father and was not insured.

The Department of Housing has put Ms Beckett in a motel for seven days.

Melinda Beckett said from what they understand the blaze started in the garage under the house.

“She (Holly) said it just went up within two to three minutes,” she said.

“She said it just happened so quick. She just tried to get everyone out. She fell down the stairs trying to put it out. Just within two minutes, it (the house) was gone. I think there were gas bottles under the house.

“After they got out there were some explosions which would have been the gas bottles, or she said there might have been a jerry can under there in the garage.

“We drove past there last night after we finished at the doctors. It’s all fenced off. There's not even a roof. There’s nothing there.

"She went there last night. She’s right for seven days, we’ll just have to see what happens after that. From what I can tell the house will have to be demolished."

Melinda Beckett said she was relieved no one was seriously injured.

“Everything else can get replaced eventually, but they're all out safe. That’s the main thing,” she said.

A GoFundMe page has been created to help the mother-of-three get back on her feet.

You can donate HERE.

EARLIER

The fire that burnt down a home on Lilli Pilli Dr in Southport has been confirmed as unsuspicious by detectives.

A Queensland Police spokesperson said the fire was declared as undetermined as there was no evidence it was suspicious and the property was too damaged to determine what lead to blaze.

The fire broke out at about 6pm on Tuesday and firefighters worked through the night and contained the blaze at 11.30pm. 

Paramedics took one person to Gold Coast University Hospital with a minor injury. 

Scene from the Southport house fire on Wednesday morning.

A QAS spokesman said:  "A stable patient was transported to Gold Coast University Hospital for an ankle injury following a house fire on Lilli Pilli Drive at 6.18pm.

"A second patient was also assessed for minor injuries however declined further transport."

 

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) and Queensland Police crews remained on  the scene Wednesday.

QFES told residents to close windows and doors and if suffering from a respiratory condition.

Neighbour Stuart Lee, of SRL Electrical, said one lady lived there.

"A few neighbours gathered around," he said.

"Fire crews were two minutes away but because she was a hoarder there was a lot of fuel inside.

"A second fire truck with a cherry picker was needed to fight the fire."

The roof of No.28 Lilli Pilli Drive caved in following the blaze.

Debris surrounds the blackened and singed remains of the house and firefighting foam is streaked down street, with early morning walkers stopping to take in the scene.

The fire is understood to have begun in the garage under the house, with the door lodged open. A damaged black ute sits in the driveway.

Earlier explosions could be heard at the Southport house as it became engulfed by flames.

A spokesperson from Queensland Fire Service said calls were received from multiple other residences about 6:15pm.

She said the house was well-alight when two fire trucks arrived about 6.30pm, and immediately requested an additional five trucks.

The owners told media they heard explosions coming from underneath the house and raced outside to escape.

There were fears for a missing dog, which has now been located.

Scene of the Gold Coast fire on Wednesday morning.