By DENNIS AMOR

A BRISBANE family on a round-Australia dream trip had a lucky escape when fire broke out as they slept in their caravan in the Northern Territory.

"It was only a small fire but they were fortunate to wake up and get themselves out when they did," Tennant Creek's Outback Caravan Park owner Steve Baldwin told Caravanning News.

Gary and Sandy Olsen and their children Georgia (8) and Hayden (7) were coughing and choking on the smoke and fumes as they scrambled from their beds and rushed outside in the early hours of the morning.

Other caravanners at the four-star, 150-site park grabbed garden hoses as Mr Olsen used a fire extinguisher on the flames.

St John Ambulance officers assessed the family and Mr Olsen was taken to Tennant Creek Hospital suffering from smoke inhalation.

Police said it appeared the fire started behind the caravan's gas-powered fridge.

Mr Baldwin said there was little damage to the caravan. "But we sorted them out some temporary accommodation in a cabin for a couple of nights before they towed the caravan to insurance assessors in Darwin," he added.

Members of the family told police they woke to "popping" noises and could smell gas inside their caravan.

"They were exiting the van when they noticed flames coming from the back of the refrigerator," a police spokesman said.

Mr Olsen said his family had not planned to overnight in Tennant Creek but decided to stay after problems with the fridge. They left Brisbane four months ago.

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