Geraldton house fire horror: Neighbours praised for quick-thinking actions in helping badly burnt schoolboys

Peace and quiet following the school pick-up rush was starting to return to Marinula Road on Thursday afternoon when the unthinkable happened. With a primary school at one end and a high school within walking distance, the Mt Tarcoola street is a hive of activity on weekday afternoons as a thoroughfare, with parents picking up their children, and children making their own way home on foot, bicycle or scooter. But just after 4pm on Thursday, an explosion followed by the cries of school-aged children rocked the street, turning the typically mundane afternoon into a chaotic scene of life and death. At a time when adults were starting to return home from work and children were playing outside after another school day, neighbours and strangers responded to the shock emergency without hesitation to help save lives. Residents sprang into action when the large explosion was heard coming from Marinula Road, potentially from the State Government-owned property’s backyard. Windows were shattered and a plume of smoke was seen billowing from the house from kilometres away. Three boys — aged 12, 13 and 14 — had sustained horrific burns — while another boy sustained less serious injuries. Some of them emerged from the house, while reports that triple-0 calls indicated that some of the boys were still trapped within the burning home. Police are investigating whether the boys — who were at the house without any adult supervision — were playing with petrol and a lighter, with confirmation an accelerant was involved in the blaze. Emergency services soon swarmed to the scene, but in those critical minutes beforehand good Samaritan neighbours desperately did all they could to help ease the agony of the injured. They were wrapped in cold towels, doused by garden houses, or placed in a neighbour’s shower after they ran into the street. It is understood some of the triple-0 calls came from the children who were at the property and others from nearby homes. Some also rang their parents asking for help. The confronting injuries would have been enough to shock anyone, but neighbours were heroic and quick-thinking in their actions and didn’t hesitate to rush and help the boys after hearing their cries. Police said one put a boy under a cold shower while another neighbour said: “We wrapped them in cold towels. . . and put the hose on them for about 20 minutes . . . that’s all we could do.” A woman who lives on the street was about to drive some of the injured to hospital until she realised the seriousness of their injuries. “I put them in the car to begin with . . . when I realised how badly burnt they were, we waited for the ambulance,” she said. The gravity of the situation was starting to sink in the next day, with the whole street praying for the boys to pull through. Some knew them, others were strangers but had probably passed the boys many times in the street before. One man taking his young children to school on Friday morning couldn’t quite find the words to express what he saw. Living behind the property, he was one of the first people to jump the fence after hearing the explosion and witnessed the immediate aftermath. Geraldton police acting inspector Chris Martin praised the neighbours who rushed to help the boys. “Some of them did assist one of them getting to the hospital as quickly as possible,” he said. “We understand some of the children actually left the house prior to the police attending seeking medical assistance and that was obviously quite confronting for people. “I thank the members of the public who had that quick mindset to take the kids to hospital as soon as possible, particularly those who quickly put them in the shower and tried to give as much first aid as they can.” One woman living on the street said the neighbourhood worked together during a horrific time. “I just hope the little boys are OK, that’s all,” she said. “I know of them because I see them walking up the street.” A woman living on a street backing the burnt-out house said she was driving home when she saw the blocked-off street and observed the smoke from her house. “I thought it was a major accident until I saw the smoke,” she said. “A lot of kids do come home to an empty house these days because mum and dad have got to work. “I don’t know who lives here but I know one of my grandkids are 13 going on 14 and he goes home by himself because mum’s got to work. “You don’t know what’s going to happen when you’re not there, whether they’re playing with matches, candles, were they doing something more dangerous.” A former teacher of the boys confirmed they were students at nearby Champion Bay Senior High School. “The neighbourhood should be applauded,” she said. Director of Education for the Mid West region Julie Carlson said the incident had affected families in the community. “Our thoughts are with those affected. Local schools will have support staff available for students and school staff for as long as it is needed.” DFES firefighters were also commended for their bravery in entering the house for a potential search and rescue, as it was unknown for some time if there were any more casualties inside the property. Their actions also stopped the “intense” fire from spreading to any nearby properties. Some of the neighbours who helped were strangers to each other before this incident. Now they are tied together by tragic and traumatising circumstances, but have proven the best of humanity can emerge from the darkest times when it really counts.