Three in hospital, two with life-threatening burns, after Townsville house fire

A fire that left two people with “significant” life-threatening burns and a third hospitalised for their injuries has been deemed suspicious by police.

Police have declared a crime scene and are investigating what they are now deeming to be a ‘suspicious’ house fire that left three people in hospital and two with ‘significant’ life-threatening burns overnight in Gulliver.

Emergency services were called to Mooney Street, Gulliver, at about 3.05am Thursday.

Queensland Ambulance Service said two men and a woman were taken to the Townsville University Hospital.

A man in his 80s and a woman in her 50s were reported to have “significant” life-threatening airway burns.

A man in his 50s was in a stable condition with minor burns.

A Townsville University Hospital spokeswoman provided an update on the patients at 9.45am, saying the 80-year-old man and the 50-year-old woman were in a “critical but stable” position.

The 50-year-old man remained stable.

The remains of the house in Mooney St, Gulliver, that was engulfed in a fire overnight. Picture: Daniel Shirkie

Neighbouring houses had to be evacuated due to the heat from the blaze.

Police are investigating the circumstances of the fire, with a crime scene declared and investigations into the cause ongoing.

A Queensland Fire Department spokesman said the house was engulfed by fire and crews were still working to put it out at 7.30am.

“We had a house that was well involved when we arrived,” the spokesman said.

“We had four crews on scene.

“Crews are still working to extinguish the fire.”

Smoke blankets the scene of a devastating house fire that left two people fighting for life early on Boxing Day. Photo: Daniel Shirkie.

Mooney St between Palmerston St and Tippet St was closed to motorists and pedestrians for some time due to the fire.

Also in Townsville, QAS attended an incident in Black River after a vehicle collided with a pedestrian on the Bruce Highway at about 8.43pm on Wednesday.

A man in his 30s had potentially life-threatening head, pelvic and chest injuries when taken to the Townsville University Hospital.

A woman has urged the community for information about her pets, hoping that they had escaped.

Three people have been seriously injured when a house fire broke out and destroyed a home in Queensland’s north on Thursday morning. The fire started about 3am at a house on Mooney St in the Townsville suburb of Gulliver. A 53-year-old woman sustained life-threatening injuries, while a 55-year-old man and an 83-year-old man were seriously injured. Picture 7News

Maddi Simmons Kerr sought information on Facebook on a missing Jack Russel, a female white bull terrier, a male creamy coloured cattle dog, a tortoiseshell six month old female kitten and a large blue male cat.

Another missing Jack Russel had quickly been found.

She said all animals had collars with numbers on and were microchipped.

“Our home was involved in a fire this morning, it is a long shot if any of our pets escaped but in the hopeful chance they did, if anyone sees any of them please contact me,” she said

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Originally published as Three in hospital, two with life-threatening burns, after Townsville house fire