Investigations are underway into a violent house fire that led to one death of a toddler and forced six others to flee will consider any history of domestic violence amongst the residents.
Authorities were on Wednesday combing through the charred remains of the Harristown property, 130km west of Brisbane, after the tragedy that also left three people with critical burns.
Emergency services rushed to the property after midnight to find it alight.
Six people fled the home, including a 34-year-old man, a 36-year-old woman and four children.
However, a fifth child was unaccounted for when police arrived at the scene in the early hours of Wednesday.
The woman and two girls – a toddler and a primary school-aged child – were rushed to Royal Brisbane Hospital with critical burn injuries.
A primary school-aged boy who suffered burns and a teenager who suffered a hand injury were taken to hospital.
The man is in a serious condition at Toowoomba hospital.
After fire crews extinguished the blaze, a body on a child was found inside the property.
A forensic examination is under way to identify the remains.
Queensland Fire and Rescue Service station manager Neil Goodman said fire crews located the child’s body near the front door.
‘Once (crews) could bring the fire under control sufficiently, just near the front door, they located one (deceased person),’ Mr Goodman told 7News.
‘This is a tragic event and we are deeply saddened by this incident,’ Detective Inspector Renee Garske told reporters.
‘Our hearts go out to the Toowoomba community at this time and the family and friends of the persons involved in this incident.’
A crime scene has been declared as police investigate the cause of the blaze and after homicide detectives were called in.
Police have confirmed the two adults and the children inside the home are related.
The family’s dog survived the fire and was being cared for by a neighbour.
Detective Inspector Garske also confirmed police would consider any history of domestic violence, reports there was an argument before the fire and reports the woman went to a police station on Tuesday.
‘We are in the infancy of the investigation, so that will formulate part of our investigation,’ she said.
Det Insp Garske was also asked whether the fire was lit deliberately and if that was also part of the investigation.
‘We always establish a crime scene in relation to any tragic events, and we’ll determine that through the course of our investigations,’ she said.
Mr Goodman said firefighters were greeted with a ‘wall of flame and heavy smoke’ when they arrived at the scene as the fire mostly impacted the front of the home.
‘The guys had quite a difficult time making access and getting in to conduct a primary search,’ Mr Goodman said.
After speaking with a family member who was ‘hysterical’, Mr Goodman advised fire and rescue crews on where they might be able to find the missing child.
‘We’re all fathers, we’ve all got children, so its always hard, it’s a little bit harder when its sort of similar to your own situation,’ Mr Goodman said.
It took about 30 minutes for four fire crews to extinguish the fire.
Police have since declared the home a crime scene and have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the fire.
Anyone who may have information or relevant vision, including CCTV or dashcam footage, is being urged to contact police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
