Durack house fire: Man and woman in hospital after fire tears through Yale Pde, Durack home

Police and fireys have provided an update after a blaze tore through a Durack family home early on Friday morning. Read the latest.

NT Police and fire crews were called to a house blaze on Yale Parade in Durack after 1am on Friday, May 23. Picture: Nathaniel Chambers

Two people have been taken to hospital with burns and injuries after a fire engulfed a Durack home early on Friday morning.

NT emergency services received multiple distress calls from Yale Pde about a growing house fire in Palmerston just after 1am and launched a multiple agency response.

NT Police, NT Fire and Rescue Service, St John NT and Strike Force Trident and Dog Operations Units responded to the call and were on scene by 1.14am.

Three people were in the home at the time of the incident – a woman and two young children, while a man reportedly arrived as the fire sprouted.

All three were able to escape the home, which sustained significant damage.

The man and woman were taken by ambulance to Royal Darwin Hospital.

It is understood the man suffered from burns to his back and the woman had serious arm injuries.

The two children were reportedly unharmed.

Speaking to media at 9am, NT Police and fireys said only minor burns and injuries were sustained by the man and woman.

Smoke was seen still coming from the property later on Friday morning. Picture: Nathaniel Chambers

Watch Commander Anthony Blakeley said nobody was in the building at the time fireys arrived so it turned into a defensive response.

Emergency vehicles filled the street in the hours after, with 15 members on site between 1.15am and 4.45am.

“It worked out that getting into the house wasn’t an option so we went on the defensive attack to limit spread to other properties,” he said.

“There was a family inside initially and our understanding is they heard noise from outside, saw the fire and self-evacuated from there.

“Our response is always limited to us, it’s always nice when neighbours want to help out but making a triple-0 call is more important than trying to go in with a garden hose.

“Our first call was at 1.15am and were here by 1.21am, which is our nominal response time and where we want to be to attend to a structure fire.

“We couldn’t do anything internally, but limiting damage to near structures was important, as there can be a lot from heat transfer particularly where there isn’t a lot of space between.”

A crime scene has been established at the address in Durack on Friday morning. Picture: Nathaniel Chambers

Commander Blakeley said the cause of the blaze was still unknown as at 9am and that investigations were still ongoing.

“We do have investigators coming to the scene, and we’ll have to do investigations with people on the street,” he said.

“There’s a surprising amount of structure fires in Darwin at different times of year and we’re seeing more with the implementation of solar and batteries.”

About 7.40am NT Police confirmed a crime scene had been established at the location of the fire.

Smoke could still be seen coming from the charred structure later on Friday morning.

A neighbour, who wished to remain anonymous, told this masthead two people had been taken to hospital.

Neighbours reported hearing banging from the house. Picture: Nathaniel Chambers

The man said his wife had heard banging from the house and went over to help at about 1am. The injured man and woman were both taken to hospital.

Another neighbour also said they had heard banging coming from the house, which made them think a weapon had been discharged – before they realised it was a fire.

They say they were up until 4am because of the smoke and sheltered their next door neighbours in their yard until 2am.

Originally published as Durack house fire: Man and woman in hospital after fire tears through Yale Pde, Durack home