A very sad house fire in Harristown, Toowoomba claimed the life of a three-year-old child. In addition, six other family members suffered injuries in the fire. The fire broke out around 12:30 am on Wednesday at a residence on Merritt Street, engulfing the property rapidly and prompting an emergency response.
Even as the flames enveloped the home, six people were able to get out safely. Among those lost were a 34-year-old man, a 36-year-old woman and four young children. A fifth child was unaccounted for, a little girl who had been reported missing at first. The Queensland Fire Department would later confirm that a body had been found inside the building.
Allegedly, the fire burned down half the house, leaving the structure almost unidentifiable. Neighbor Jennifer Smith described how hot the fire was.
“It was bright orange along here from my bedroom window, it was very close to the fence line,” said Smith.
Three family members were in a critical condition and taken to Toowoomba Hospital, including the woman and two children. In addition, two other children and the 34-year-old man were taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Overhead smoke complications compounded fire crew challenges as they tried to find a way into the burning structure.
“The guys had quite a difficult time making access and getting in to conduct a primary search,” stated Neil Goodman, station manager of the Queensland Fire Department. Having told his story to a family member, she was able to share information about missing Whittle’s potential whereabouts.
After firefighters got the flames under control, they did a search at the entrance of the home.
After crews were able to get the fire under control near the front door, they located one individual that had died. Goodman indeed confirmed this information.
The horror of the incident was compounded by the impact on the local community. Goodman recounted the emotional toll these tragedies have on first responders.
Being new fathers ourselves, we knew the pain points of new parenting intimately. It’s a struggle made even more difficult when we encounter scenarios that hit close to home – literally. he remarked.
Authorities are still actively investigating the cause of the fire. In the meantime, the community is coming together to support the family facing deportation. The loss of life and grievous injuries would profoundly impact any witnesses. They are trying to wrestle with the permanent consequences of those awful times.
