Deborah Polich recounts the terrifying moment she thought she would die as a fire ripped through her Townsville unit

A woman who has lived through the death of her two sons and is battling breast cancer is now dealing with the loss of her “whole world” after a fire ripped through her unit. Read the tragic story here.

A Townsville woman who narrowly escaped a ferocious unit fire last week has described the terrifying moment she thought she was going to die — and the heartbreak of losing irreplaceable memories of her two late sons - as well as her mother’s ashes.

Deborah Polich had endured more than most after battling breast cancer for two years and having already felt the grief of losing both her sons.

Now, she said she feels completely numb after losing her home and priceless possessions during Thursday night’s blaze on Percy Street.

“It’s been heartbreaking … I’ve lost my entire world in that unit, that’s all I had,” she said.

Every afternoon the 54-year-old padlocks her door and closes her curtains to feel safe in her own home, which is why she didn’t notice the blaze began to rip through her door until it was almost too late.

“I was on the phone to my sister and my little chihuahua was barking and carrying on,” Ms Polich said.

A fire ripped through a unit complex on Percy Street in West End on Thursday night. The cause of the fire is still unknown. July 6 2025

“I went to see what was happening and he ran into the room and I followed him and as I entered all I saw was orange flames and smoke.

“I thought I was dead, I didn’t think I’d make it, I didn’t think anyone heard me call out.”

Her front door was soon enveloped in flames, and as smoke filled her unit she frantically began to try and protect her pets.

“Everyone must think I’m crazy for saying this but my main concern was my animals, I wanted to get them out of the house and I was running around looking for them,” she said.

“I couldn’t see, there was so much black smoke, I couldn’t even see five feet in front of me.

“I was shaky … I couldn’t even see my way to the second door, that’s how scared I was.”

Thankfully nearby neighbours, like her close friend Donna Wood, had rang emergency services and it wasn’t long before police officers heard Ms Polich screaming for help and bravely ran into the burning building.

“I heard somebody outside and I went ‘please help me, please don’t let me die like this’ and I remember collapsing on the floor but I must have been determined and I got back up, I didn’t want to die in the unit,” she said.

“I honestly did not think I’d walk out of that unit, I could feel the smoke getting to me.”

Police smashed their way inside to Ms Polich and were able to pull her out of the blaze and eventually were also able to save her dog.

“When they got me out … all I was saying to the police officer was to please go and get my pets,” she said.

“I was lucky that they got my animals back, even the police said it was like I had an angel watching over me that night, it saved me.”

Tragically, others weren’t so lucky, with another neighbour losing several beloved pets during the heartbreaking incident.

Unfortunately as Police helped her over the property fence, she lost her footing on the ladder and fell, severely hurting her knee.

In the wake of the tragedy, Ms Polich said she felt emotionally drained and is yet to return to the unit she had called home for the past five years.

“I walked out with the clothes I had on … I’ve lost my mum’s ashes, my two sons have passed away and I lost their photos as well as my mum and dad’s photos as well and I’ll never get anything back,” she said.

She said one of her sons died when he was four years old in a car crash and the other had been murdered when he was 29-years-old.

“The only thing I had to remember them by was their photos, so this has knocked me around, I’m numb,” she said.

Donna Wood lives next door to the Percy Street unit complex which was burnt down on Thursday night. July 6 2025

“I haven’t been back to the unit yet to even have a look, I’m too scared to go back.”

On Sunday a Queensland Fire spokeswoman said the cause of the fire was deemed as undetermined as there weren’t any credible fire sources in the area.

A Queensland Police investigation is also ongoing and they’re appealing for anyone with relevant information, CCTV or dashcam footage to come forward.

A nearby neighbour, Ms Wood, recalls waking up to fire alarms and the sight of orange flames through her bedroom window.

After helping put out the fire and assisting in the care of victims’ animals, she has also organised a Go Fund Me page to help get those affected back on their feet.

“It is nothing short of a miracle that they managed to escape with their lives intact,” she wrote.

“The loss they have experienced goes beyond material possessions, as they have also lost their beloved pets.

“These families are humble and would never ask for help themselves, as they have always been the ones to extend a helping hand to others in need. I firmly believe that it is now our turn to support them in their time of need.”

Anyone interested in donating can visit this link https://www.gofundme.com/f/two-familys-lost-everything-in-unit-fire

Originally published as Deborah Polich recounts the terrifying moment she thought she would die as a fire ripped through her Townsville unit