Three people have been hospitalised and three homes destroyed after a fire tore through a street in Brisbane's northern suburb of Grange on Saturday afternoon. The Queensland Fire Department (QFD) said the blaze likely started from a fuel spill when a resident was filling a vehicle.
QFD Acting Chief Superintendent Douglas May said the fire spread quickly on Evelyn Street due to the steep slope and windy conditions. 'It appears that a fuel spill, when someone was filling up a vehicle, has ignited on the ground, and that person has unfortunately received some burns and has gone to hospital,' he said.
Forty firefighters were called to the scene to bring the blaze under control. Three homes were lost, and three people were taken to hospital, including one with significant burns. Two of the injured are firefighters—one with burns on an arm and another with a heart condition.
Chief Superintendent May confirmed that all residents from the affected houses escaped immediately. Power was cut to the street as a precaution, affecting 24 customers according to Energex.
A neighbour described the fire's rapid spread, saying, 'My husband heard some crackling and looked out and it was well alight, just flames, black smoke everywhere.' One resident who arrived home to find his house threatened said, 'We've got three cats in there and they can't be replaced — possessions can.'
