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Devastating moment when the luxurious Gold Coast home of an elderly couple burns down as investigations begin into whether another exploding electric bike battery is to blame
- Gold Coast waterfront property burned to the ground
- The occupants managed to escape unharmed.
- Electric bicycle or electric scooter left to charge is being investigated as the cause
The luxurious beachfront home of an elderly couple has been ravaged by a three-story-high fire believed to have been started by a lithium battery.
The $1.65 million home at Nootka Court in Broadbeach Waters on the Gold Coast was engulfed in fire around 11am on Wednesday, and the two occupants were thankfully able to escape unharmed.
Neighbors called emergency services when they noticed thick black smoke billowing from the property.
Firefighters managed to control the flames at 2:15 p.m. and extinguished the flames at 3:20 p.m.
Footage shows a man believed to be the owner running back into the house to save the couple’s cats as his partner walks worriedly across the front yard across the street as residents try to comfort her.
The fire quickly engulfed the luxury beachfront property on the Gold Coast (pictured)
Neighbors saw the black smoke (pictured)
Queensland Fire and Rescue Senior Firefighter Ty Hopson told reporters the fire had spread to a neighboring property causing some damage and a car parked in the driveway was also destroyed.
“We have four bombs available, two specialized aircraft and their senior officers totaling 21 people,” he said.
What started the fire is being investigated and the cause has yet to be confirmed by QFES.
The source of the fire is believed to be a battery for an electric bicycle or electric scooter that was being charged in the garage.
In the footage, neighbors across the street can be heard commenting on the heat put out by the flames and how the glass doors of the neighboring property were bending and bulging.
Various pops, cracks and explosions can be heard as the fire rages.
A neighbor, Russell Barth, was mowing his lawn when he saw the smoke.
It took hours for firefighters to bring the blaze (pictured) under control, which is believed to have been started by a battery being charged in the garage.
“We (him and another resident) ran and the owner tried to put the hose on it and within a minute it was about 10 feet up.” she told the Gold Coast Newsletter.
It was crazy. In 2-3 minutes she was in the hands of the whole house.’
“He (the owner) ran out and said his cats were inside and went back inside to look for them,” Barth said.
Barth added that another resident heard something sparking and hissing before the fire broke out.
There is increasing scrutiny on electric bikes and electric scooters with thousands of their lithium batteries catching fire around the world in recent years.
In Australia, more than 450 fires have been linked to lithium batteries in the last 18 months and in Queensland alone there have been 72 since 2021.