Blind Queensland man helps fight blaze as home of family of 11 destroyed

A blind man used a garden hose to try to help fight a massive house fire that has left a single mother and her 10 children homeless.

A mum and her 10 kids have lost their home and all of their belongings in a blaze, that took firefighters three hours to extinguish.

The mother’s niece has organised a community collection to support the large family.

“Single mother of 10 beautiful children – my cousins – have lost everything in a massive house fire,” she posted online.

“My aunty and my cousins are now homeless.”

Neighbour Richard Willshire – who is legally blind – stood and sprayed the fire with his garden hose as emergency services arrived.

Firefighters needed three hours to extinguish the blaze in the Townsville suburb of Garbutt

about 6pm on Sunday.

Mr Willshire, 63, said as the fire took hold “all hell broke loose”.

Firefighters needed about three hours to get the blaze under control. Picture: Supplied

“I was trying to stop the fence from igniting, because it was damn hot, and it went through really quick,” he told the Townsville Bulletin.

“The pressure around is pretty crap, but what are you supposed to do though? And you can’t just sit there and watch it, because it was hot and it was coming.”

Mr Willshire described windows exploding and shrapnel flying.

The Bulletin reported the cause of the fire as an “accident”. The Queensland fire authorities have been approached for comment.

The house has been destroyed. Picture: NewsWire / Glenn Campbell

The family lost all their possessions, including family photos, beds, a full kitchen of food, clothes and the TV.

The family needs nappies and baby bottles, clothes for kids aged six to 15, food, blankets and shoes.

The niece says her aunty has passed on messages of gratitude since the donation drive began.