Monkland house fire linked to group of youths as crime scene established

Detectives continue to hunt for clues into a fire at a home which had sold just before Christmas and was being renovated by its rural firefighter owner. UPDATES HERE:

A home gutted by fire in Gympie had just been bought for $300,000 and was under renovation, it’s been revealed.

The Gympie understands that in cruel irony, the new owner is a local woman who serves as a Rural Fire Brigade volunteer.

According to property data, the Monkland home was only on the market for eight days before selling just before Christmas.

9 East Deep Creek Rd, Monkland, when it was first bought in December 2021. Photo: CoreLogic

The listing described the two-bedroom highset home as “easy living with rural views”, perched on a 602 square metre lot.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Gympie Criminal Investigation Branch Officer In Charge Detective Sergeant Robert Lowry said a crime scene had been established at 9 East Deep Creek Rd, which was left a charred shell after the ‘suspicious’ blaze.

He said police had received reports a group of youths were seen near the house around the time the fire was started.

“Some information had been received from neighbours indicating there may have been some noises heard at the property within the vicinity of the property, shortly before the fire,” he said.

He said the alarm was raised by drivers who had seen smoke coming from the timber home at around 6pm on Monday night.

Concerned onlookers had checked to make sure no one was trapped inside the burning home before calling police and firefighters, he said.

Thankfully, no one was home.

A house goes up in flames on East Deep Creek Rd, Monkland, on February 7, 2022.

“Some of the witnesses have said when they turned up there was this black, toxic smoke billowing out of the place,” Sgt Lowry said.

“It was well and truly alight.”

A Queensland Fire and Emergency Services spokesperson told the Gympie Times five fire crews were called to the scene and battled the blaze for an hour.

They said during this time, part of the roof collapsed.

Police remained on scene to investigate once the fire was extinguished.

Sgt Lowry said the house had only been bought in December 2021, and it was undergoing renovations at the time of the blaze.

This was all that was left of 9 East Deep Creek Rd, Monkland after the mystery fire on February 7. Photo: Elizabeth Neil

“The new owners have only had the property for a month,” he said.

“They were checking it out, doing some early renos and those sorts of things, and unfortunately, now it’s caught fire.

“We had the opportunity to speak with the owners last night, and they were more than forthcoming with assisting with inquiries.”

Police are appealing for anyone who may have dashcam or CCTV footage around the time of the blaze to come forward as investigations continue.