Bundaberg fire victim Aaron Mockeridge remembered

A man who tragically died in a unit fire in Bundaberg on the weekend has been remembered by family and friends as questions linger over whether the fire was caused by an exploding e-scooter battery.

Aaron Mockeridge, a Bundaberg man who tragically died after his unit caught fire on Saturday, October 7 ​has been remembered by his neighbours and family for sharing laughter and tears. Picture: Supplied

Family and friends have paid tribute to a Bundaberg man who tragically died in a fire that tore through his unit on Saturday morning.

A single, stay-at-home dad with two children and one on the way, Aaron Mockeridge, aged in his 40s, lived in an East Bundaberg unit on Ann St.

“Double Aa-ron: Thank you for the laughter,” a handwritten note signed by his younger sister Kate said.

“I guess you really went on your trip to Vietnam, only thing is you left all your friends behind.”

Aaron Mockeridge, a Bundaberg man who tragically died after his unit caught fire on Saturday, October 7 has been remembered by his friends and family. Picture: Supplied

“Here’s a little something I wish I could say to you in person:

“Thank you for the laughter, the good times we shared

“Thanks for always listening, for trying to be fair

“Thank you for your comfort when things are going bad

“Thank you for your shoulder to cry on when I’m sad.”

Aaron Mockeridge, a Bundaberg man who tragically died after his unit caught fire on Saturday, October 7 has been remembered by his neighbours and family. Picture: Supplied

Long-time friend Serena Hunt also shared her thoughts with a pen and paper.

“I am so grateful to have been your friend in life and will continue to be your friend in death,” she wrote.

Ms Hunt put together a GoFundMe for the family and said: 

“Aaron was one of a kind. So kind and would give the shirt off his back, if it meant he could help you in any way, or to turn your frown upside down.”

“Due to the sudden and unexpected death of Aaron, we would just like to do what we can to help donate towards the costs of his funeral and give him the send-off that he deserves! As we all know he would have done exactly the same thing for us!”

When the unit caught fire on Saturday morning firefighters arrived to contain it and sadly found Mr Mockeridge deceased and the unit gutted by the fire.

As the news spread, close friends shared on Facebook that they believed the fire was caused by an e-scooter battery exploding in Mr Mockeridge’s bedroom.

Aaron Mockeridge, a Bundaberg man who tragically died after his unit caught fire on Saturday, October 7 has been remembered by his neighbours and family. Picture: Supplied

When asked for confirmation of this, police could only say they believed the fire was caused by “something that was charging”.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services said they had passed the investigations over to the Electrical Safety Office.

“The Electrical Safety Office (ESO) was notified by the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (on Saturday, October 7) of a fatal fire at a residential property in Bundaberg. We can confirm ESO is assisting QFES with their investigation. As this is an active investigation, we are unable to provide further information at this time,” a Workplace Health and Safety Queensland spokesman said.

It all comes as concern builds over the safety of lithium batteries and a strong warning was issued for e-bikes and e-scooters after a concerning rise in fires caused by batteries found in the increasingly popular modes of transport.

Originally published as Bundaberg fire victim Aaron Mockeridge remembered