Police and Queensland Fire and Emergency Services officers are investigating a fire in a house at Waratah Close, Tewantin, that had been the subject of threats prior to its suspected arson about 1.30am on Tuesday morning.
QFES acting inspector for Gympie command Brian Riley said firefighters from Noosa Heads and Tewantin responded to multiple 000 calls received from the area.
“When officers arrived the house was well involved, with partial roof collapse,“ he said.
Firefighters used hoses to extinguish the blaze but the house was completely destroyed, he said.
The housing commission house was abandoned at the time and had been boarded up.
Neighbours said a woman and three of her five children had been living in the house.
Inspector Riley said both police and fire officers had received messages that the house would be set alight.
“There were several attempts to set fires prior to this without success,“ he said.
Neighbours said the house had been the target of attacks for the previous week since police announced they had charged three girls over an assault of a teenage girl.
One neighbour said windows at the house had been boarded up after a party was held on a Saturday night more than a week ago during which the windows were smashed.
Neighbour Wal Ahti, who had lived in the house next door for 20 years, said early last Saturday morning about 1-1.30am he heard a man hitting the garage rollerdoor on the house with a piece of pipe and threatening to kill someone inside.
“I didn’t hear anyone fight back,” he said and was unaware if someone was inside at the time, but he heard the man get in his car and drive off.
Another neighbour alerted Mr Ahti to the house fire on Tuesday morning and he moved his car out of the driveway.
He said firefighters were quickly on the scene and his property sustained no damage at all.
“It’s amazing how quickly it went up in smoke,” he said.
Further down the normally quiet No Through Road another neighbour said in the past week the house had become “like some museum” with cars going up and down the street and slowing to look at the house.
“It’s been scary. When that happens you don’t know where they’re going to go next or who they’re targeting,” he said.
During the week some neighbours in the street received pamphlets containing racial content in their letterboxes, he said.
“That’s quite scary to see that in letterboxes,” he said. “It’s quite crazy. That’s what we’re dealing with. Hopefully that’s the end of it. Hopefully everyone’s safe.”
The man said the loss of the housing commission house during this time of housing shortage would mean someone will be missing out on a roof over their head.
“It’s been full on for some time,” another neighbour said. “It’s been very stressful. I feel sorry for everything that’s happened.”
Detectives from Sunshine Coast Criminal Investigation Branch are appealing for public assistance following the fire.
Sunshine Coast Police Superintendent Craig Hawkins said his message was to let justice take its course.
“An investigation has been undertaken, the perpetrators of the torture events and offences have been arrested and are before the courts,” Superintendent Hawkins said.
“I would ask them to trust in the justice process and to let that continue. Vigilantism or behaviours of that nature are simply going to put others at risk, including the individuals concerned. What I would ask is that we show a level of responsibility and leave those matters to the police.”
Superintendent Hawkins said they became aware of the racially motivated flyer on the morning of Wednesday 29 March.
“Gutless is a good term and certainly they are attempting to incite a level of fear and incite a racial dispute,” he said of those responsible for the flyers.
Early indications show that the flyer itself had been generated by people that don’t live on the Sunshine Coast and have no connection to the Sunshine Coast.
“This is a direct attempt by individuals that don’t live on the Sunshine Coast, have no relationship to the Sunshine Coast, to incite radical behaviour or racially motivated behaviour,” Superintendent Hawkins said.
“They don’t comply or don’t associate with the behaviours nor the expectations of the Sunshine Coast and no way would that behaviour be condoned. Everyone has the right in Queensland to feel safe, to not be a victim, and to live harmoniously within this state.
“The cultural heritage of the people who did occupy this home is completely irrelevant.”
Detective Senior Sergeant Craig Mansfield said their digital evidence team in Brisbane was investigating social media posts about the house fire, and reiterated that online vigilantism was not condoned.
“We don’t condone that in any way shape or form and those people who do commit those acts will be prosecuted,” he said.
“We’ve been doing regular patrols in the street since the first incident occurred.”
Senior Sergeant Mansfield said police were concerned for the safety of the family who previously lived in the house.
“They’ve vacated that premises now. We’re in liaison with that family but they no longer reside in that area,” he said.
“Given the house is now destroyed, we do envision that that type of behaviour will reduce in the area, but that’s not to say that we won’t be continuing our patrols of the area over the following days, weeks, and months, to ensure this behaviour doesn’t continue.
“Now the housing department is short of a house that would have provided some shelter for other people that need it. That type of behaviour is not condoned by not just the police but the community in general.”
Police have declared a crime scene and are conducting investigations. On Tuesday morning detectives located a bicycle abandoned on a path nearby and confiscated it.
Anyone who may have witnessed the incident, or has dashcam or CCTV from the surrounding area, is urged to contact police.
