Seven cars, unit complex on fire in Dutton Park

Seven cars have been destroyed and a block of units evacuated, after police say one of the vehicles was deliberately lit at a residential complex in Brisbane’s inner south.

A crime scene has been declared, with police alleging links to a fatal shooting in Corinda, after 11 cars were either destroyed or damaged by what police say was a deliberately lit fire at a unit block in Brisbane’s inner south overnight.

A QFES spokesman said crews were called to the apartment complex on Gladstone Rd at Dutton Park at 11pm and were confronted with at seven cars ablaze in a carport.

Seven cars were destroyed by fire at this Dutton park unit complex overnight. Picture: Finn Morton

The unit block itself was also under threat from the fire, which police say was deliberately started in a vehicle under a carport, while seven vehicles were destroyed and a further four damaged by heat from the fire.

Police now allege one of the cars destroyed was the Audi that was used as a getaway vehicle following the shooting on Tuesday morning.

A large fire can be seen across the river in the direction of Dutton Park. Picture: Babaganouj/Twitter

The spokesman said the fire was initially confined to the parking structure and crews worked to make sure it didn’t spread further.

A police spokesman confirmed the complex had been evacuated by 11.20pm.

The fire scene commander said the blaze erupted in the outdoor corrugated iron carport at the rear of the complex, which comprises of four social housing apartment buildings.

“The construction of that carport really helped protect the rest of the building,” QFES officer Alex Pearl said.

“When fire crews arrived we had seven vehicles in a carport that were all on fire.”

He described the blaze as “ferocious”, with flames leaping approximately three metres into the air.

He said all units in the vicinity were evacuated as a precaution, but that no other buildings had been damaged.

“It was the construction of that carport, and the tin roof and sides, that meant other buildings weren’t damaged,” he said.

The carport’s tin roof protected the nearby units from any large-scale damage. Picture: Finn Morton

A resident at the Lochaber St unit block said she watched on in horror as her Hyundai went up in flames.

Lorraine Smith’s yellow Hyundai Accent was among seven vehicles completely destroyed when an Audi linked to a shooting at Corinda was set in fire.

The Audi had been left under a carport where residents park and set on fire late on Wednesday night.

Ms Smith, who had lived in the unit complex for more than 35 years, said she had just gone to bed when she heard strange noises.

“I came out to the kitchen and heard yelling then heard a bang,” she said.

Ms Smith’s unit faced toward the side of the car port and she was met with enormous flames which had spread to an overhanging tree when she opened her front door.

The mother said she ran up the walkway screaming, “my car, my car”.

Ms Smith bought her yellow car, fitted out with Elvis memorabilia and personalised plates, in 2017 brand new.

Luckily she is insured and has the help of her son for transport, but Ms Smith said this type of incident was bound to happen.

Residents at the unit complex have complained to the Department of Housing for years about suspected stolen cars being dumped in or around their complex.

“They don’t care. It’s a waste of time complaining because nothing is done,” she said.

“It used to be a really good place to live, very family orientated.

“It breaks my heart.”

Ms Smith said most of the gutted cars belonged to older residents in the complex who had called it their home for years.

She said despite the issues, it was her home and would find it difficult to leave.

One woman said she initially though the smoke alarms were a false alarm, but looked out the window to see massive plumes of smoke issuing from a building at the rear of the complex.

“I was watching Netflix with my son,” she said.

“There was a fire here a few years ago and I thought ‘oh it won’t happen again, it must be a false alarm’, but then I looked out and there was so much smoke and the sky was orange.”

Detectives are appealing for anyone who witnessed anything suspicious or was travelling on Gladstone Road around 11pm with dashcam vision to contact police.

Investigations are continuing.