Teenagers charged over Monkland house fire

Four teenage girls have been arrested over a fire which gutted a home that had just been bought by a volunteer firefighter at Gympie.

Four teenage girls have been charged over a fire which destroyed a newly bought Monkland home in February.

Police alleged three girls from Gympie, aged 13-years-old, 14-years-old and 17-years-old, and a 16-year-old girl from Boyne Island “deliberately lit” a fire at the East Deep Creek home at around 6.10pm on February 7.

Gympie Criminal Investigation Branch Officer In Charge Detective Sergeant Robert Lowry told the media on February 8 neighbours had heard noises from the house shortly before the fire started.

He said smoke was seen coming from the timber home by concerned drivers, who checked to make sure no one was inside before calling firefighters.

The house had only been bought in December 2021, and was undergoing renovations at the time.

The Gympie Times understands that in cruel irony, the new owner was a local volunteer firefighter.

16-year-old Boyne Island girl was charged with trespass and arson, and will appear in Gladstone Children’s Court on March 9.

The three Gympie girls will be dealt with under the Youth Justice Act.