Six kids arrested after abandoned Big Brother house set on fire

Six kids have been arrested after fire crews battled to save the famous Gold Coast house featured in the TV series Big Brother.

A fire has completely destroyed the abandoned Gold Coast set of reality television series Big Brother, with six youths arrested.

The fire at the dilapidated mansion property at Coomera broke out around 2.15pm on Saturday. The adjacent Dreamworld theme park was not threatened but the fire sent thick plumes of smoke into the air.

Six children were duly arrested after being seen running from the site. Four children, aged between 11 and 15, have been charged with arson, while two nine- year-olds have been released.

#BREAKING A large plume of smoke can be seen rising into the air beside Dreamworld. Fire crews are enroute.

Reports the Big Brother house is on fire at Coomera. pic.twitter.com/6PFf7p3HFc

— QLDNews (@QLDNewsAU) June 22, 2019

@njkelly9 just driven past at Dreamworld pic.twitter.com/fwrc604Dli

— Leon Tomlinson (@leontomlinson97) June 22, 2019

The hit show Big Brother was shot at the site for 11 seasons from 2001. Since its cancellation in 2014, the house had decayed and been vandalised. The property is owned by Queensland Investment Corporation.

Earlier on Saturday, footage surfaced on social media, in which plumes of smoke are seen rising from the abandoned house, located on the lot beside Dreamworld on the Gold Coast.

Fire crews were reportedly called to Foxwell Rd at Coomera at 2.15pm to battle the blaze.

Since 3pm more than a dozen firefighters have been trying to extinguish the flames.

According to the Gold Coast Bulletin, five police vehicles and six firefighter crews were on the scene throughout the afternoon.

Smoke coming from the former Big Brother house. Picture: Jared Farrow and Hayley Exposito

The smoke coming from the house could be seen from kilometres away. Picture: Jared Farrow and Hayley Exposito

A Queensland Fire and Emergency Services spokeswoman confirmed that the structure on fire is the house featured on Big Brother and the fire was “well involved” at 2:30pm.

Following the blaze, there were reports a group of teenagers wearing “hoodies and hats” were seen running from the scene.

One woman who drove past said police had saturated the area.

“Cops were everywhere, sussing teenagers around the area,” she told reporters. “One teen got absolutely tacked by roughly four police officers.”

The incident comes just weeks after the former Big Brother pad was vandalised.

The reality show’s famous “mansion” on the Gold Coast has fallen into disrepair since the series ended in 2014, with video shot recently in the grounds uncovering a derelict hellhole fallen into disrepair.

The derelict Big Brother house YouTuber and former contestant Skye Wheatley visited. Photo: YouTube — Skye Wheatley

Originally published as Six kids arrested after abandoned Big Brother house set on fire