Agnes Street neighbour Diane Comadira-Smith provides first-hand account of suspicious South Gladstone house fires

When Diane Comadira-Smith woke up to her dogs barking, she thought nothing of it. But then she heard the first wail of a siren as a fire engine tore its way up her quiet South Gladstone street.

When Diane Comadira-Smith looked out her bedroom window on Sunday morning, all she could see was flames.

The neighbour to two homes destroyed by fire has described her shock after waking up to her dogs barking, and then watching two South Gladstone houses in her street engulfed by flames.

Emergency services were called about 6.20am to Agnes Street. When the first crews arrived on scene by 6.30am, the fire was so fierce it took up to 30 firefighters to bring it under control.

Despite the commotion of dogs barking, Ms Comadira-Smith said she initially heard nothing.

“I got up to let my two dogs out at 5.10am and they were barking, but will bark at anything so I didn’t think anything of it,” she said.

“I had trouble getting back to sleep, but I didn’t hear anything until the first siren around 6.20am.”

Ms Comadira-Smith said she was worried about her elderly neighbour when she heard sirens, however, her concern was quickly redirected.

“I looked out my bedroom window and all I saw was fire engines and flames and that is the first I knew about it,” she said.

“I tried to think of everything I could have heard before that, nothing.”

Ms Comadira-Smith said the fire was already in the roof of the smaller house and threatening the neighbouring, larger house.

“But within no time at all that building there was engulfed by flames, it took no time at all and was so quick,” she said.

A Queensland Fire and Emergency Services spokeswoman said in total, eight crews of four firefighters each responded, with most arriving between 6.30am and 8am.

She said it took almost two hours for the crews to bring the fire under control, with firefighters remaining on scene until 1.30pm Sunday dampening down the area.

Ms Comadira-Smith said she was shocked such a house fire could happen in her street.

“I have lived in this house for about 20 years and it was quite upsetting to see actually,” she said.

“When we moved here, the people who owned those houses were already here and had the only two houses on that side of the street.”

Ms Comadira-Smith said her heart went out to the owners of the houses which were lost in the incident.

“It was really upsetting and I really felt for them, the house has been completely gutted and it’s really sad to see,” she said.

The Gladstone family that owned the homes could do nothing but watch on as they were destroyed.

The family was safely evacuated from one house, the other was vacant.

Rhiannon Kent, whose family owned the properties, and lived in one, said it was hard to see the house she grew up in burnt to nothing.

The fire is being treated as suspicious, with a Queensland Police spokesman on Monday morning saying investigations were still ongoing.

The properties have been declared crime scenes and QFES investigators are assisting police with their investigations.

Police are appealing to residents to check their dashcams and CCTV to see if there is footage that may assist detectives investigating the incident.

A GoFundMe was established on Sunday afternoon by the victim’s niece Tayla Davis, who shared a statement about the family’s anguish.

“My family’s home was burnt down this morning in a tragic fire,” Ms Davis said.

“Everyone is safe and well, unfortunately their childhood family home is not.

“Photos, clothes, shelter, and toiletries are all destroyed.

“If we could please help out and raise funds towards rebuilding their new home and a fresh start it would be greatly appreciated. Any donation is appreciated thank you all for your support.”

To donate to family affected by the devastating Agnes Street fires, click HERE.