Police treating huge Darwin CBD fire as suspicious
A HUGE fire has totally destroyed a building right next to Darwin’s tallest high-rise in dramatic scenes in Darwin’s CBD. SEE THE VIDEOS and PICTURES here
Northern Territory
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UPDATE:
Police are treating a fire that destroyed an abandonded house in the Darwin CBD yesterday as suspicious.
NT Police say investigators believe the fire was lit intentionally, for example by a cigarette or camp fire, but they cannot be sure if it was done with the intention of burning the building down.
Anyone who may have seen anyone acting suspiciously in the area at around 3pm yesterday is urged to cotnact police.
EARLIER:
A HUGE fire has totally destroyed a building right next to Darwin’s tallest high-rise in dramatic scenes in Darwin’s CBD.
Police blocked off McMinn St as fireys battled the structure blaze on the property bordering the Zest apartments, opposite the Evolution building on Friday afternoon.
The block had an abandoned three-bedroom house on it that was well ablaze by the time emergency services arrived.
The fire was extinguished just before 3pm but the building was completely destroyed.
Police established a crime scene at the location while fire inspectors continue to work to establish the cause of the blaze.
Loud bangs could be heard from the property as the fire roared, and large, acrid plumes of smoke blanketed much of the city.
Austin Chin, whose family owns the property, said he was shocked that the “iconic” Darwin house had been destroyed in such dramatic fashion.
“I saw the smoke coming across the road,” he said.
“I pulled up and it was only just starting.
“It’s an abandoned house, it’s a very old Darwin house. My grandparents lived there for many years.”
Mr Chin said the property had been abandoned for at least a decade.
“We just weren’t able to get it to a point where it would be rented out. It’s just abandoned,” he said.
“It’s iconic. An old house like that in the middle of Darwin.
“I grew up there as a young kid with my grandparents living there, I visited my grandparents. I used to go fishing down the wharf. I’d give them a fish I’d catch.”
Mr Chin said by the time he’d stopped at the blaze, emergency services had already been called.
He was concerned that maybe someone had been inside the property, given fence mesh had recently been pulled back.
Henry Jackson called triple-zero and said the fire spread quickly.
“By the time I rang the police, fire was coming out of the ceiling, up the roof, and away it went,” he said.
Hannah Dalton, who was staying with friends in the Evolution building, was letting her fake tan dry when she said “chaos erupted” from the neighbouring building.
“Yeah, literally,” she said. “I was putting fake tan on.”
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“I was letting it dry, because it has to dry for a couple hours,” she said.
Ms Dalton and her friends’ dog Mia were startled by the room suddenly filling with smoke.
“I couldn’t find the exit door, and then thought I’m gonna die.”
Ms Dalton and Mia at one point became separated.
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“I lost her, then I found her.”
Both Ms Dalton and Mia however safely made it to the ground floor, where they then watched the inferno unfold from a nearby carpark.
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