Intense fire destroys family home in Brisbane
A fire has devastated a Brisbane man after the family home containing his late wife's ashes was gutted by the blaze.
It's believed she passed away last December from cancer and he was planning to scatter her ashes from his boat, which was also badly burnt, on the anniversary of her death.
The 67-year-old man and his two children had a lucky escape from the blaze after the family dog, named Snoopy, barked to alert them that their home had burst into flames.
Emergency crews were called to Saxon Street in Acacia Ridge at about 12.40am after the fire broke out at the two-storey home.
Huge flames could be seen pouring out of the property, and soon spread to two cars and a boat.
"It was a very fierce and intense fire. We also had a boat loaded with diesel fuel at the front of the house that was well involved and an additional three cars," Station Officer Owen George from the Queensland Fire and Emergency Service said.
"The boat posed as a threat. It was fully loaded with diesel fuel, which proved difficult in the end to extinguish given its proximity to the house that was involved in fire also."
Despite the intensity of the blaze police on scene said that no other houses were damaged.
"We saved the neighbouring properties. They sustained little or no damage at all," said Owen George from the Queensland Fire and Emergency Service.
Witnesses have said they could see the flames from several streets away.
The man and his children got out safely, but their home has been destroyed.
Police are not treating the fire as suspicious.
Investigations are continuing.
News break – June 10
