Neighbours injured trying to rescue man from burning house

“Courageous” neighbours tried to save a man who died in a blazing house fire that started with two “loud bangs”.

A man has died in a blazing house fire in North Queensland despite the brave efforts of neighbours who tried to save him.

The Clayton St inferno in the Townsville suburb of Hermit Park was reported to emergency services about 11.15pm on Tuesday night.

A witness said “two loud bangs” could be heard before the house was engulfed in flames.

Neighbours ran to the house to help, desperately trying to get inside the house to save its resident, but could not safely do so due to the fire’s large scale.

One of the men who tried to save the victim sustained burns on his head and hands and was hosing himself down as paramedics arrived.

One of the men who tried to save the victim sustained burns on his head and hands. Picture: NCA NewsWire / John Gass

Detective Inspector Chris Caswell called the neighbours “courageous” and applauded their valiant efforts to try to save the man.

“It’s a brave effort to try and go to aid someone else; unfortunately it just wasn’t able to be done in this instance, “Mr Caswell said.

“There’s nothing to say that it is suspicious; however, obviously, until that fire examination is conducted … we won’t be ruling out that it wasn’t.

“The property is still subject to a crime scene, where investigations will continue throughout the day.”

The blaze was maintained to the property and did not spread. Picture: NCA NewsWIRE / John Gass

Three men were treated at Townsville University Hospital, including a man with burns and a firefighter with smoke inhalation.

Arson chemists combed through the house’s charred skeleton on Wednesday and police said due to the intensity of the fire, emergency services “actually had to make a Public Safety Preservation Act declaration on Tuesday night to evacuate the nearby properties”.

Firefighters’ efforts meant the blaze was maintained to the property and did not spread.

However, they were called back at 3am on Wednesday when the fire reignited before finally leaving the scene at 6am.