Two units substantially damaged in overnight blaze in Newtown

Residents of a city housing block were woken early this morning by the smell of fumes and a fire alarm, with neighbours helping to assist people from their burning units.

A fire investigation is underway after an early morning fire razed four units at a public housing property in Jellicoe Street.

Several people have been displaced after a fire at a block of public housing units in Newtown overnight.

Residents in the block were woken early this morning by the sound of a fire alarm, with neighbours helping to assist people from their burning homes.

“I had been asleep but then I smelt the fumes, I looked over at the (neighbouring units) and the whole thing was nearly up in flames,” neighbour Michael Hay said.

“The one sound I heard was the smoke alarm going off.

“Our neighbours went to one of the units and got everyone out – everyone got out.”

Initial reports suggest a moped, parked outside one the units, was the cause of the blaze.

Mr Hay said they had been told the fire might have been caused by an electrical fault in a moped parked outside one of the units.

Fire fighters were called to the scene, at Jellicoe St, around 1.30am.

A Queensland Fire and Emergency Services spokeswoman said four units were affected by fire, with two substantially damaged by the blaze.

She said all people were accounted for and a fire and investigation officer had attended the scene, alongside police.