An elderly man is fighting for his life after fire ripped through horse stables on the Gold Coast overnight.
The 71-year-old caretaker – known to locals as Dougie – was inside when the blaze broke out.
Horse owners say it would have been a nightmare scenario.
“It’s just – it’s a horrible thing. I think it’s the most terrifying thing – horses and fire. It’s just awful because they freeze. They basically stand there like statues and they don’t want to move.”
Firefighters are investigating if an electrical fault sparked the blaze.
There were more than 15 horses inside the stables, but incredibly, all escaped injury.
