An 85-year-old man has died after being badly burned in a fire that erupted in his land lease community home in Kingscliff, just south of Tweed Heads in the NSW Northern Rivers region, on Monday, 7 July.
He suffered severe burns to 50% of his body as the fire took hold of his home at Noble Lakeside Park, an over-50s village.
Paramedics with the Westpac Rescue Helicopter flew him to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital in a critical condition where he died from his injuries overnight.
His 83-year-old wife, who was also inside the home when the fire broke out, was taken to Tweed Valley Hospital in Cudgen with minor burns to her face and body. She is in a stable condition.
Fire and Rescue NSW Superintendent Adam Dewbury said the cause of the fire was still being investigated but the debris pattern suggested a gas leak.
"We've also got evidence of a pretty decent flash-fire or a minor explosion, which has pushed a lot of the construction of that demountable outside of where we would normally expect it than if it was a fire that started in a kitchen or in a lounge," he said.
"So there is information to indicate there has been some sort of vapour that has ignited. One of the things that we do know was on scene was LPG or gas cylinders.".
