Queensland police are continuing to work to determine the cause of a house fire which claimed the life of a child and left three people fighting for their lives.
The blaze broke out at a home in Toowoomba, at about 12.30am this morning.
A neighbour from across the road told 9News he was awake at the time and called emergency services after seeing fire in one of the windows.
Within minutes the entire front of the weatherboard home was engulfed in flames, the neighbour said.
A 34-year-old man, 36-year-old woman and four children managed to escape the home.
However, a fifth child was unaccounted for, with firefighters unable to get inside the property in time to save their life.
It was confirmed this morning the child had died.
The fire has since been extinguished.
The mother and two of the children were rushed to Brisbane for urgent treatment and are reported to be in a critical condition, fighting for their lives.
The father and two other children are being treated in Toowoomba Base Hospital with serious injuries.
Neil Goodman, from the Queensland Fire Service, said crews faced intense conditions when they arrived.
“Crews were initially met with a wall of flame and significant heat. Crews had quite a difficult time getting access to the front of the building,” he said.
Detective Inspector Renee Garske said it was too early to say whether the fire was suspicious.
“We are in the infancy of our investigation, and at this stage we’ve got a crime scene established … we’ve got our forensic personnel currently on scene. We’ve also got our scientific section who will be deployed to assist with those investigations,” Garske said.
The homicide unit had also been notified and would assist with the investigation, she said.
“We’re appealing to anyone who may have any information relevant to please come forward. This is a tragic event, and we are saddened by this incident,” Garske said.
Anybody with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
