71-year-old mum dies in fatal house fire, while son suffers serious burns in efforts to save her
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Content Warning: This story contains descriptions of a fatal house fire, injuries, and loss that some readers may find distressing. Reader discretion is advised.
A quiet neighbourhood has been shaken to its core by a heartbreaking incident, leaving residents struggling to come to terms with the tragedy.
In a devastating turn of events, a Sarina community near Mackay on the coast of Queensland has been rocked by a tragic house fire that claimed the life of a 71-year-old woman and left her son with serious injuries.
The incident, which occurred on Sunday afternoon, 5 January, has left neighbours and the wider community in shock as they grapple with the sudden loss and the heroic efforts of a son trying to save his mother.
The fire, which erupted at approximately 4:25 pm, quickly consumed the two-storey home on Kathleen Street.
It is believed that an oil spill in the kitchen caused the fire to rapidly spread to the entire second floor.
Neighbours, alerted by the sound of shattering windows, sprang into action, attempting to douse the flames with garden hoses in a desperate bid to control the blaze until the arrival of emergency services.
'Thankfully, the first floor is a concrete floor, so there was nothing to ignite down there, but the entire upper floor is drywall, timber and asbestos which still burns, but once it got going, there was no real stopping it from that point,' Timothy Parker, a local resident, said.
He also praised the swift response of the emergency services, who arrived 'damn quickly’.
The woman's son, in a brave but ultimately heartbreaking attempt, sustained 'significant' burns to his hands as he fought to reach his mother.
'We did as much as we could,' Parker said.
The injured man, in his 40s, was rushed to Mackay Hospital for treatment, while two firefighters also sustained minor injuries during the rescue operation.
As the fire was extinguished, the grim reality set in with the discovery of the woman's body within the remains of the gutted home.
A fire investigator was scheduled to attend the scene on Monday, 6 January.
'A crime scene has been declared, and investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing,' a police statement read.
Police have urged anyone with information to come forward and contact Crime Stoppers.
The home was last sold for $203,000 in 2009, according to real estate data.
Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the deceased, and we extend our deepest sympathies.
We also wish a speedy recovery to the son and the injured firefighters.
A quiet neighbourhood has been shaken to its core by a heartbreaking incident, leaving residents struggling to come to terms with the tragedy.
In a devastating turn of events, a Sarina community near Mackay on the coast of Queensland has been rocked by a tragic house fire that claimed the life of a 71-year-old woman and left her son with serious injuries.
The incident, which occurred on Sunday afternoon, 5 January, has left neighbours and the wider community in shock as they grapple with the sudden loss and the heroic efforts of a son trying to save his mother.
The fire, which erupted at approximately 4:25 pm, quickly consumed the two-storey home on Kathleen Street.
A tragic house fire tragically claimed the life of a 71-year-old mum, and her son suffered serious injuries. Credit: Pixabay
It is believed that an oil spill in the kitchen caused the fire to rapidly spread to the entire second floor.
Neighbours, alerted by the sound of shattering windows, sprang into action, attempting to douse the flames with garden hoses in a desperate bid to control the blaze until the arrival of emergency services.
'Thankfully, the first floor is a concrete floor, so there was nothing to ignite down there, but the entire upper floor is drywall, timber and asbestos which still burns, but once it got going, there was no real stopping it from that point,' Timothy Parker, a local resident, said.
He also praised the swift response of the emergency services, who arrived 'damn quickly’.
The woman's son, in a brave but ultimately heartbreaking attempt, sustained 'significant' burns to his hands as he fought to reach his mother.
'We did as much as we could,' Parker said.
The injured man, in his 40s, was rushed to Mackay Hospital for treatment, while two firefighters also sustained minor injuries during the rescue operation.
As the fire was extinguished, the grim reality set in with the discovery of the woman's body within the remains of the gutted home.
A fire investigator was scheduled to attend the scene on Monday, 6 January.
'A crime scene has been declared, and investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing,' a police statement read.
Police have urged anyone with information to come forward and contact Crime Stoppers.
The home was last sold for $203,000 in 2009, according to real estate data.
We also wish a speedy recovery to the son and the injured firefighters.
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