Worendo St, Southport units go up in flames after resident places hot battery in freezer

Multiple people have been evacuated from a Gold Coast apartment building in an early-morning blaze – with authorities zeroing in on a red-hot e-bike battery as a likely source.

An intense blaze, which emergency services believe was caused by a resident placing an overheating e-bike battery in a freezer to cool it down, has torn through a Gold Coast unit block.

Emergency services were called to the fire on Worendo St in Southport just before 6am on Tuesday.

Video footage from bystanders shows flames of more than a metre in height lapping the roof and spilling out the windows from the third story apartments.

Residents were forced to climb over balconies to evacuate as the flames took hold.

A thick black plume of smoke from the fire could be seen from several kilometres away.

It’s believed the flames took hold inside a third-floor unit, occupied by a trio of residents, before spreading into the roof and neighbouring apartments. The building sustained significant damage.

Gold Coast Chief Superintendent Craig Hanlon said the cause of the fire, based on a report of unit occupants, was believed to be an exploding battery that had been placed in a freezer in a bid to cool it down.

“It appears a male in the unit has woken and identified the battery of his e-bike was significantly warm, and he’s decided to put that battery in the freezer to cool it down and consequently the battery’s exploded,” Superintendent Hanlon said.

“He’s attempted to put it out himself but lost control and couldn’t contain the fire and then subsequently evacuated with two other occupants [of the unit].”

A Queensland Fire Department (QFD) spokesman said the roof of the building collapsed under the intense heat from the blaze before firefighters had arrived on scene.

Residents were forced to evacuate over their balconies.

Four crews battled for 20 minutes to bring the inferno under control.

The fire was extinguished by about 6.40am and emergency services remained on scene to conduct atmospheric monitoring.

Another two specialist fire units were called to attend the incident. The QFD spokesman said the specialist fire investigations unit would also attend the scene later in the day.

Flames more than a metre in height could be seen lapping the building. Picture: Supplied.

All residents inside the building were evacuated and have been accounted for.

Paramedics assessed a man in his 40s who suffered minor burns to his arms in the fire.

A Queensland Ambulance Service spokeswoman said he was taken to Gold Coast University Hospital in a stable condition.

Exploding batteries are an increasing menace in society and are gobbling up the capacity of emergency services.

On the morning of Friday, January 10 at McIvor Ct, Ormeau, an electric motorbike on charge burst into flames, with firefighters able to put out the blaze, which was confined to the garage, after about 20 minutes.

Superintendent Hanlon said it was incumbent on the owners of e-transport devices to follow manufacturer’s instructions to the letter when it came to caring for the devices.

Originally published as Worendo St, Southport units go up in flames after resident places hot battery in freezer