Man critically injured in suspicious gas explosion

A man is fighting for his life after being caught in an explosion in a shed that sparked a destructive house fire and caused nearby houses to shake south of Gympie overnight.

Crews headed to a garage fire on Gympie's southern side.

A man was critically injured in a suspicious gas explosion on a private property at Cooroy overnight that sparked a fire that tore through a house on Straker Dr.

The man, in his 40s, was burnt from the explosion that reportedly occurred in a shed just after 1am, causing nearby houses to"shake", neighbourhood reports say.

Paramedics worked on the man at the scene before he was flown to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital in a critical condition.

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The explosion sparked an unforgiving fire that engulfed a house on the property, a Queensland Fire and Rescue spokeswoman said.

Eight fire crews were on the scene by 2am, fighting a blaze that had engulfed at least 60 per cent of the house, the spokeswoman said.

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Firefighters fought the blaze from outside, but were forced to enter the house to control it, she said.

The house was substantially damaged, she said, with most crews remaining until 3.30am, when a ventilation of the area was finished.

A Queensland police spokesman said the fire was being treated as suspicious and was under investigation today.

The area had been declared a crime scene.

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