Man charged with attempted murder after home destroyed in fire

A man has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly lighting a fire that destroyed a home in Brisbane on Sunday morning.

A man has been charged with two counts of attempted murder after two women were lucky to escape a burning home allegedly lit by a man who had been arrested at the property for domestic violence offences hours earlier.

Police have also charged the man with two counts of arson, contravening a police order, one count of assault causing bodily harm, one count of common assault and one count of wilful damage. 

Emergency services responded to the large house fire in Wooloowin just after 6am on Sunday morning where crews battled the blaze that destroyed the house.

Police will allege the man responsible for lighting the fire had been released from the Brisbane watch house on strict conditions after he was arrested at the property overnight.

Fire tears through a house at Wooloowin in Brisbane on Sunday morning.

Police Inspector Sean Cryer said police were called to a disturbance just after 11pm at the property and arrived at the scene within five minutes.

“Within two minutes of arriving we had a male person in custody and he was taken into custody on investigation of family violence,” he said.

“That person was taken back to the Brisbane City watch house where he was processed on what had happened, as a result of which he was released earlier on this morning on some very strict conditions including an order that he couldn’t return to the residence.”

The aftermath of a fire that destroyed a home at Wooloowin on Sunday morning. Picture: Liam Kidston.

Insp. Cryer said the man was released and lodged a complaint in relation to other matters before returning to the residence, despite his conditions.

“That male person then made his way back to the house and spoke to another member of the family,” he said.

The man retrieved some personal items before he was seen leaving in his car, police said.

There were two family members in the house, and all were evacuated safely.

“Within a very short period of time, a loud bang was heard and occupants of the house then realised it was a fire underneath the house,” Insp. Cryer.

“As a result of the investigations the male person involved from last night has surrendered himself to the Hendra Police Station and as of right now is assisting us with inquiries into this matter.”

Damage to the home at Everleigh Street, Wooloowin. Picture: Liam Kidston.

Insp. Cryer said last night was the first time police had been called to the property.

“When police investigate matters it’s not always the case that every person is kept in custody, and people are sometimes given the presumption of bail and or release conditions, but what I can assure you is that he was released on very strict conditions of release, including an ouster not to return to the residence,” he said.

“We treat every complaint of domestic violence at its most serious and last night that was indeed the case, we received some information that there was a fairly high level disturbance occurring at the house, hence why we had such a priority response.”

The house was gutted by the blaze.

One neighbour, who asked not to be named, said she had seen a police car arrive in the street after hearing screams coming from a property several houses away.

“There was a woman screaming that woke me up in the middle of the night, I came and stood outside and I saw a police car and then everything went quiet,” she said.

At 6am another neighbour, Samantha Ney said the sound of explosions woke her.

“We went onto the balcony upstairs and saw the fire and smoke,” she said.

“It was a bit scary seeing all the flames and it went up really quickly because it’s timber.”

A firefighter fights the blaze at the newly renovated Wooloowin home. Picture; Liam Kidston.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services station officer Paul Robinson said fire crews from Chermside, Windsor and Hendra responded to the blaze at 6.10am after multiple triple-O calls reported smoke billowing from the two story timber dwelling.

“We arrived a few minutes later to find the house well involved in fire, crews have done a great job to keep it from moving to houses next door,” Mr Robinson said.

“Fire investigation and scenes of crime are working to determine the cause of the fire.”

Mario Como was on his morning walk when he saw the fire, he said his biggest concern was that there were people or animals inside.

“I heard some banging a couple of streets away,” he said.

“Within 30 to 60 seconds the house was ablaze.”

Insp. Cryer said the structure was in “imminent danger” of collapsing.

A crime scene has been established.