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.
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.
