Sunshine Coast man charged after fire destroys mobile home, campers
A 27-year-old man has been charged with multiple counts of arson and wilful damage after a fire tore through a Sunshine Coast rest stop used by campers and the homeless, destroying a motorhome and camper trailers.
A 27-year-old Caloundra West man has been charged with multiple counts of arson and wilful damage after a fire tore through a Sunshine Coast rest stop used by campers and the homeless, destroying a motorhome and camper trailers.
Police said on Thursday the man had been refused bail after being charged with three counts of arson, two counts of wilful damage and common assault after the Glenview drama.
He is also charged with assault occasioning bodily harm, breach of bail condition and other matters.
The man is due to appear in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Thursday.
The charges came after Queensland Fire Department crews rushed to Steve Irwin Way after reports of multiple vehicles and campers on fire.
A QFD spokesman said one motor home, six camper trailers and tents, and one motorcycle went up in flames near Old Daisy’s Place on Steve Irwin Way.
More than 11 QFD vehicles had initially rushed to the scene to bring the fire under control.
Earlier police said they received reports about 6am of a man allegedly setting fire to camping equipment at the Jowarra Park rest area.
Police said a man armed with a metal pole confronted officers on their arrival, who took the man into custody shortly after without incident. A crime scene was declared.
French backpackers Thomas Jousset, 21, and Leandro Molinos, 20, had witnessed the blaze, after arriving at the rest stop in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Their one-night stay, part of their Australian road trip, was rudely interrupted by a loud bang they believe was a tyre exploding at around 6am.
When they opened their tent, they saw a “three or four metre high fire” consuming vehicles parked nearby.
Mr Jousset said, after the fire was blazing, another man approached the first man in an aggressive way.
About 20 minutes after the explosion sound woke the backpackers, “lots of police” arrived and arrested the first man, Mr Jousset explained.
Although they weren’t hurt at all, Mr Jousset and Mr Molinos said they were both shaken up by the ordeal.
“It was just crazy,” Mr Jousset said.
“We were not ready for this.”
Locals were devastated by the blaze with many pointing out it had become a place for people to stay, due the lack of affordable housing in the region.
“This is really sad. Those poor people already had it so hard. they just lost everything,’’ Henny Penny said.
“That’s not just a rest stop, many people residing there are homeless,” Elisabeth Gaedtke posted.
“That’s their home. Why would anyone do that?”
Paramedics arrived to the scene at 6.17am and assessed two patients.
Firefighters said the fire was under control as of 6.45am, and the blaze has since been extinguished.
One local reported the garbage bin was on fire yesterday at 2pm when she dropped her husband off for a bus to Brisbane Airport.
At 9am, police tape blocked off the scene, with officers still monitoring the area.
Smoke was still seen coming from the torched bus.
Fire crews confirmed no one was inside the burning vehicles but a few crews remained as a precaution.
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