Darwin retirees lose home and all possessions in Livingstone fire

Graham and Margaret Doyle are sifting through the ashes of what was their home for 32 years after a devastating fire swept through their Livingstone property on Darwin's outskirts Sunday afternoon. "We've lost our house. There is nothing left," Graham Doyle stated, surveying the rubble and dust where his home once stood.

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We've lost our house. There is nothing left.

The couple was inside preparing dinner when Margaret noticed the smell of smoke. What began as a distant fire alert quickly escalated. Mr. Doyle described the fire's terrifying speed, comparing it to "the surf coming in on the East Coast." He recounted how the flames traveled approximately 350 meters in about a minute, leaving them with mere minutes to evacuate.

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It was like the surf coming in on the East Coast. It just flew down … travelled 350 metres in about a minute.

They managed to rescue their three dogs but had no time to save personal belongings. Mr. Doyle attempted to fight the fire with a garden hose, which quickly burned through, and then with buckets of water. A fireball erupted inside the house, forcing him to abandon the effort. "The house was the timber inside a wood fire stove and the flames were just jumping up everywhere," he said.

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I've never seen anything move that fast. I don't know how to describe it other than absolutely terrifying.

Bushfires NT Incident Controller Nathaniel Staniford confirmed that high fuel loads, particularly gamba grass, significantly contributed to the fire's intensity and rapid spread. While fire crews responded, Mr. Doyle noted that they ran out of water. Mr. Doyle was hospitalized for minor burns and smoke inhalation but expressed profound relief at being alive. He returned to the site in donated clothing to search for irreplaceable items, including his wife's wedding and engagement rings.

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Watching, it was like the house was the timber inside a wood fire stove and the flames were just jumping up everywhere.