Pimlico fire: Video of alleged arson attack on Granville St units
A victim of a suspicious Townsville unit fire says it was only luck there were no fatalities in what he says was likely an alleged arson attack.
Townsville
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One of a number of people left homeless after a suspicious blaze tore through a set of units in Townsville on Sunday night says he believes it was only luck there were no fatalities caused by what he believes was an alleged arson attack.
Darien Kirwan and flatmate Seth Thornton rented Unit 5 of six primarily ground-level apartments at the complex at 13 Granville Street, Pimlico.
He said he was eating his meat-pie dinner and watching YouTube in his home of 2.5 years when the pair were alerted about 8.30pm to the rapidly expanding blaze that ignited in the carport of Unit 3, a flat owned by the Department of Housing.
“We’ve come out the door and it was super bright, and we’ve gone around the corner a little bit and it’s just up, it’s engulfed.”
Mr Kirwan said they removed their vehicles from the driveway before they became aware that one of the two occupants of Unit 4 was still inside his home.
“Me, my housemate and two other fellas have run back down our driveway and we’re screaming out for him and getting no response … we couldn’t get through the carport because the fire was right there and it was so hot and things were going ‘bang’, ‘pop’.”
He said Mr Thornton gained entry at the rear of the property and “dragged him out”.
“He was just in there grabbing s--t, so we just grabbed him and said ‘get the f--- out’ … by that time the fire was so hot and intense we couldn’t get back down the driveway so we had to jump over the back neighbour’s fence onto Palmerstone St before we could get back to Granville.”
Mr Kirwan said the elderly resident of Unit 2 also had a narrow escape just moments earlier.
“She had to get helped over the fence as well because she’s got a bung ankle; there were the two fellas from across the road who noticed the fire before we did, before we were even out of our unit,” he said.
“If it was any later (at night) someone would have got hurt, hurt bad, old love in Unit 2, she wasn’t able to get out and they had to rip through her fence to get in there and get her out … and hoist her over the fence.”
The 23-year-old said the seat of fire was in Unit 3’s carport.
“We’re pretty sure it was arson, we spoke to the fire investigators yesterday (Monday), and asked them and they pretty much nodded their heads,” Mr Kirwan said.
“If they were home, there is no way they would have made it out of that back door, and there is no way they would have made it out of that carport where the fire started.”
Mr Kirwan said it was clearly visible where sections of the fire “accelerated very quickly”.
He said the property, other than the sole double-storey privately owned unit, had been officially classed as “unliveable” on Tuesday morning.
He also alleged that a burglar had attempted to target Unit 4 overnight Monday.
“The people from Unit 4 returned to get more stuff and caught the person in there all covered in soot trying to steal their s--t.”
Mr Kirwan said the flatmates would be able to salvage their possessions and begin what was likely to be an arduous search for an alternative resident in what was an “insane” rental market.
Townsville Police have officially classed the fire as “suspicious” and investigations are ongoing.
Queensland Police Service has been contacted for comment.
The Department of Housing and Public Works said it was aware that a “departmental property was damaged by fire on Sunday night”.
“We will work with all parties involved while the police investigation is underway.”
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