Police launch Operation Tango Clove to investigate four suspicious house fires in North Brisbane

Intelligence specialists are investigating four suspicious house fires north of Brisbane in the past month, with police suspecting arson caused them all.

DETECTIVES have commenced an operation to investigate four suspicious house fires within a five kilometre radius of each other in North Brisbane over the past month.

Queensland Police were unable to comment on exactly how the fires may have started due to investigative reasons, but said arson was the suspected cause.

Earlier this week, it was revealed two of the fires were neighbouring properties in Hamilton owned by the same development company, Delkins Project 1 Pty Ltd, and included in an active development application for a complex of units.

Emergency services at the scene of the blaze in Hendra on June 1. Picture: Josh Woning

Officers from Hendra’s Criminal Investigation Branch and intelligence specialists from North Brisbane District are investigating if the fires were started by the same firebug or unlinked people.

“At this time it is equally open that different people started the fires as much as it was the same person,” a Queensland Police spokesperson said.

“Detectives are investigating to identify the truth.”

All of the fires occurred in vacant properties with no electricity and evidence of squatter activity, police said.

Fire engulfs a home in Hamilton on Sunday afternoon.

The first of the fires occurred on Kent St in Hamilton on May 12 about 2.43pm.

On May 30, a house on Kedron St in Clayfield caught fire about 3.35am.

Later that day at 2pm, firefighters were called to a single-story home on fire at 24 Nudgee Road in Hamilton.

Two days later on June 1, firefighters responded to a fire at the neighbouring house on 22 Nudgee Road about 2.15pm.

Emergency services pictured at a house fire in Hamilton on June 1. Picture: Josh Woning

Queensland Police are yet to establish are solid link between the Nudgee Road fires and any other fire, including a fire that gutted a vacant home in Cannon Hill on May 31 about 5.50pm.

Operation Tango Clove has so far canvassed surrounding businesses and homes in search of CCTV footage.

They continue to appeal to members of the public with information or video footage to come forward.

It comes as Detective Superintendent Tony Fleming told 4BC on Thursday the recent spate of fires across vacant homes in Brisbane were unique.

“It is unusual to have this many in such a short time,” he said.

“The question is who did that and why did they do that? We’re not accusing anyone but we do have an open mind.”

Detective Superintendent Tony Fleming. Picture: Annette Dew

Detective Superintendent Fleming said arson was a very serious and dangerous crime that carried with it a maximum jail sentence of life.

“It does concern me that we may have somebody injured or killed,” he said.

Police are also appealing to the owners of vacant or abandoned houses to ensure they are secure.

“They should talk to neighbours of those properties and encourage them to report squatters to the owner so appropriate action can be taken to ensure the safety of the property,” A police spokesperson said.