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The cause of a fire at a duplex in Central Queensland where four bodies were recovered, including a toddler and a baby, remains a mystery as police plea for witnesses and dashcam vision.
The bodies of a man and three children – a 15-year-old girl, a one-year-old girl and a five-month-old boy – were found in the ruins of the fire in Emerald, inland from Rockhampton, on Thursday morning.
On Friday, police asked anyone with information, CCTV or dashcam vision, particularly between 6am and 7am along Opal Street on November 6, to come forward.
Mathew Chilly, whose body was found after a house fire in Emerald.Credit: Facebook
The remains of Mathew Chilly, 36, were found in the blaze and his relationship to the children was yet to be confirmed.
The home was fully engulfed when Queensland Fire Department crews arrived about 6.50am on Thursday.
The body of five-month-old Desmond was found in the duplex.
Senior Sergeant Peter McFarlane said two people escaped, but Chilly and the children did not.
Deceased five-month-old Desmond and toddler Maddison were staying inside the Opal Street home with family friends when the blaze erupted.
A 25-year-old woman and a 38-year-old woman escaped the fire and were taken to hospital for treatment.
McFarlane described their injuries as “more psychological than physical”.
Their father was away in Toowoomba for medical treatment, and their mother was one of the pair who escaped the home.
Toddler Maddison was among the victims identified.
The children’s great aunt, Sally Woulfe, told Nine News they were much-loved.
“They’re an Aboriginal family, so lots of aunties, lots of uncles,” she added. “It’s a small community so this would be touching a lot of families, not just ours.”
McFarlane said neighbours attempted to douse the flames with garden hoses when emergency services arrived.
The fire spread from one home to the roof space of another, and was contained by fire crews about 1.30pm.
The site of the fatal fire in Emerald.Credit: Nine
“An investigation is under way, and it’s involving a lot of specialist sections from Rockhampton and also Brisbane to determine the exact cause of the fire,” he said.
The house is owned by the government, and an e-scooter battery is being investigated as a possible cause.
A spokesperson for the Department of Housing and Public Works said the department was deeply saddened by the news, and had offered support to family and loved ones of those who perished, as well as neighbours.
“We will also provide any assistance to the Queensland Police Service and other lead investigating authorities as they work to determine the cause of the fire,” a department spokesperson said.
The Opal Street house is owned by the government.Credit: Nine
McFarlane said the scene was “very sad and tragic”, inside and outside the home.
“We have a lot of families gathered around there,” he said.
“They are very tight-knit, extended families here in Emerald and they are gathering around each other.”
On Thursday morning, Premier David Crisafulli said it was “incredibly sad to see the loss of four lives”.
“When you deal with smaller towns, there is no doubt that those connections will be felt and the loss will be felt so deeply,” the premier told reporters.
The fire comes just weeks after a woman was charged with murder over the deaths of a mother, Jordana Johnson, and two young boys, who died in a Gladstone house blaze.
With Abbey Geran
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