Riverhills House Fire Leaves Family in Temporary Housing

A devastating fire in Riverhills has left a single mother and her family facing up to six months in temporary housing. The blaze on the afternoon of August 25 partially destroyed their home of over two decades, gutting three of the four bedrooms on the upper level.



Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) reported that five crews responded to the incident at Cottage Crescent at 1:50 PM. Upon arrival, they found the top floor of the home engulfed in flames. Firefighters managed to bring the fire under control within 10 minutes, but significant damage had already occurred.

The family, including a 60-year-old grandmother, escaped the fire without injury. However, the emotional toll is evident. Selena, the 16-year-old eldest daughter, expressed the family’s state of shock: “Our family is definitely still quite shaken and just still letting everything sink in since it’s so surreal as our family home that my mother was raised in and that we as a family have created so many memories in has been terribly damaged.”

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According to Selena, the fire is believed to have started in her sister’s room due to an electrical issue. Fortunately, her sister was at a birthday party at the time, and her younger brother’s late bus meant he was not home when the fire broke out.

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The family managed to evacuate with their pets, including a dog and fish. Selena praised the immediate response from neighbors, saying, “I can’t even express how abundantly compassionate and helpful our community has been from the moment I dashed out the door while dialling triple-0.”

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The local community has rallied around the family, offering financial support and donations of essential items such as clothes and school uniforms. Local schools have also stepped in to provide new uniforms and supplies for the children.

As the family comes to terms with their loss, Selena reflected on the experience: “Life is so precious and we shouldn’t put our faith in what we own, any materialistic things in homes can burn to ashes in a matter of seconds, we can’t rely on such things.”

The Fire Investigation Unit has been notified and may conduct a thorough examination of the scene today to determine the exact cause of the fire.

Published 26-August-2024