Three homes destroyed, another damaged in Evelyn St, Grange after monster fire erupts
Residents who lost their homes when a monster inferno tore through multiple houses in an up-market Brisbane suburb have returned to the scene, as fire investigators reveal the likely source.
QLD News
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Residents who lost their homes when a monster inferno tore through multiple houses in the up-market suburb of Grange on Saturday have returned to the scene, finding rubble where their homes once were and describing the ordeal as a “nightmare”.
One homeowner suffered serious burns and four families were left heartbroken after the mammoth fire ripped through their properties on Saturday.
A house fire broke out on Evelyn St about 2pm Saturday but with strong winds the fire quickly spread to three neighbouring properties, sparking a mass evacuation.
John Milne suffered serious burns and was in a stable condition at Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital on Sunday afternoon.
Almost 20 crews battled the intense fire for about three hours before finally getting it under control around 5pm, but three homes were completely destroyed and a fourth sustained serious damage.
Station Officer Troy Hartley from the Fire Investigation Unit on Sunday said the burnt-out shell of a 1920s Rolls Royce was a point of focus of the investigation.
“We’re investigating now in line with the story from the occupant that they were refuelling a car, a vintage car, but we need to try and eliminate that if we can, just to prove/disprove it,” Station Officer Hartley said.
“It appears to be an older Rolls Royce, if you think of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang with a chassis with an open cabin on it, engine at the front, fuel tank at the back and four open wheels.
“It is quite possible that vapours from the petrol have evaporated and have come in contact with fuel - so a light source or a heat source, a spark or a naked flame - and then just ignited.
“I believe the gentleman did get some petrol on himself and resulted in going to hospital, but that was accidental.”
Station Officer Hartley went on to add that all avenues would be probed as part of the investigation.
“As part of our investigations, we can’t assume it was what happened,” he said.
“We will try and eliminate any other sources if we can.”
One of the three properties destroyed was a historic Queenslander built in 1925, owned by David Topp and his wife Dr Jacqui Kelly.
Mr Topp, who stayed with family Saturday night, returned to the scene on Sunday hoping to find his family’s three cats.
“We’re going to survey the damage and hope for the best hope to try and salvage whatever we can in terms of personal property, but our main priority is the cats just to find out where our cats are because hopefully they made themselves scarce during the pandemonium yesterday,” Mr Topp said.
“It’s devastating, personal property is just personal property, but cats are an integral part of our family.
“We’re not sure when we can get back into the house or not, but by the looks of it, it’s not in any fit state to go into at this point in time.”
His wife Dr Jacqui Kelly said she was at a family function, when she started receiving several phone calls.
“My lovely neighbours were calling me and my daughter was like mum your phone has rang three times, maybe you should look at it,” Dr Kelly said.
“I grabbed it but by the time we got here, we were watching a slow motion burn of our house.
“The other two had gone already but watching ours was frustrating.”
Dr Kelly said her and her husband Mr Topp have been through floods and fires in the past two years.
“I actually went through a flood a few years ago, so we went we know a lot about floods, but floods and fire in two years kind of sucks.
“We did floods and now we’re doing fire.”
Dr Kelly hopes homeowners will heed her advice to check their home and contents insurance.
“I didn’t set my insurance at what I should have, I’m kicking myself but it’s one of those things,” she said.
“If anyone sees this and thinks maybe we should double check our home and contents I think it’s worth it because you never think it’s going to happen to you - and in Brisbane and on a main street near the city.
“It is a bit of a nightmare, it’s a nightmare for everyone.”
Mr Topp said his focus on Sunday would be securing supplies for his two children ahead of the return to school on Monday.
“The school community is trying to put together some school uniforms for our children,” he said.
“They’re trying to put some chair bags and supplies together for us, so let’s hope that that works.
“My personal aim for my work is to try and get business attire back because I’ve lost a lot of that so that won’t be easy.”
Speaking to The Sunday Mail at the scene on Saturday as the drama unfolded, Mr Topp had described the blaze was “explosive” and that there was “nothing that could stop it”.
“The wind is killing us and it’s blowing into our house,” Mr Topp said.
“We have three cats and we don’t know what’s happened to them … you can replace possessions but you can’t replace what’s important.
“We have two kids and I’m just devastated for them.”
Mr Topp has lived in the street for nine years and said it was a lovely street with great people.
The combined value of the three homes destroyed was almost $4m.
“It’s devastating for our neighbours to have lost their houses, devastating to have lost our house because even if they save it half of it is gone. It’s just heartbreaking,” Mr Topp said.
A GoFundMe has been created for the Topp family.
Their close friend Sandra Goetz created the GoFundMe to help them get back up and restock their essentials.
A family of four, with two young boys aged eight and five, are also among those who lost their home.
Lucy Dignam created a GoFundMe for her brother and sister-in-law after they lost their house.
“This fund is purely to get them and their 2 young boys (8 and 5) through the first couple of weeks before insurance is sorted etc and is a place for the family to direct people to who are wanting to help,” she said.
“Any funds raised will be used to replenish immediate essentials before insurance claims can be finalised.
“Any overflow of funds received here will be used to directly support the other families involved, or reinvested into the community through the P&C at Wilston State School, where both of their children currently attend.”
Wilston Scout Group Venturer leader Brett Hooker said the community had rallied together to support the victims of the devastating house fire.
“The local families got together last night and made sure they had somewhere to stay last night, made sure the kids had somewhere to stay,” Mr Hooker said.
“We’ve got huge community support around just making sure they had basic things like clothes, clean underwear, things like that.”
Mr Hooker described John and Dot Milne, who live at the house where the fire ignited, as wonderful members of the local community.
“Dot is one of those people who just gives everything she can to the community, so I’ve known her for years through the local scout group, and every time we need help with something she was one of the first people to put her hands up,” he said.
“She is also the canteen manager at a local school, so she’s really well known in the school community.
“John is a little bit sort of more behind the scenes if you like so but anything that needs to be done, he’s just there.
“He’s really into his vintage cars, so this is a pretty unfortunate story, but he loves his old car.”
Mr Hooker, who has spoken with the couple following the fire, said Mr Milne was holding up as best as he can in hospital.
“He’s hurt, but he’s okay, the hospital is looking after him,” he said.
“He has got some burns through his lower body to his legs, we think he’s going to be okay, we just got to give him support and make sure that the family is supported as well.”
A GoFundMe campaign has also been established to help the Milne family who lost their home.
Jennifer Skinner said the fundraiser will help the family “get back on their feet”.
“The Milne family lost their home today in a house fire in the Grange,” Ms Skinner posted on Saturday.
“This fundraiser will allow them to cover short term costs as they get back on their feet.
“The community has already been amazing and we send thanks to everyone for this.”
A fourth GoFundMe has been created for another family who lost their house at Grange.
Ms Dignam said Brad Furness and his daughter also lost their home in the devastating tragedy on Saturday.
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Acting Chief Superintendent Douglas May had said on Saturday it was believed the fire was started by a fuel spill.
“Reports are that a gentleman was refuelling his car and some of it spilt and an ignition source has set it alight,” Supt May said.
“He immediately called triple-0 and got out of their own house and alerted the neighbours.”
The homeowner of 33 years, who neighbours know as John, tried to put out the fire and suffered serious burns to his face, hands and legs. He was rushed to Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital in a serious condition.
Supt May said intense winds made it incredibly difficult for fire crews.
“We’re at the peak of the hill here and that southeasterly wind has gone straight through and gone from one house to the next.”
Two firefighters were also taken to hospital for injuries, including a small burn and heat stress.
The fire was out by 10pm Saturday but crews remained overnight dampening the scene.
A Queensland Fire Department spokeswoman said fire investigators would be on scene Sunday to confirm the cause of the blaze.
“Crews remained on fire watch overnight and are on scene this morning dampening down hotspots,” she said Sunday morning.
“Fire investigators will attend the scene throughout the day to confirm the cause of the fire.
“At this stage, it is not looking suspicious.”
Residents nearby were on Saturday night still encouraged to close their windows due to lingering smoke.
Originally published as Three homes destroyed, another damaged in Evelyn St, Grange after monster fire erupts
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