A Kedron unit complex has been left badly damaged after a ferocious fire tore through the top floor on Wednesday evening, with police now investigating whether the blaze was deliberately lit.
Emergency services were called to the two-storey building on Arnott Street at approximately 7.45pm on 25 February after reports of a fire in one of the upper-level units.
Queensland Fire Department crews arrived to find the unit well alight, with flames visible from neighbouring streets. The fire was brought under control just after 8.30pm, but not before causing extensive damage to the property’s top floor.
Multiple residents were evacuated from the building, with one man sustaining minor burns to his foot during the incident. Police have confirmed that a crime scene has been declared as investigators work to determine the cause of the blaze.
According to reports, the homeowner had been away from the property and returned to discover her unit engulfed in flames. The owner has indicated to authorities that she believes intruders may have started the fire.
Local resident Alex Ferguson, a neighbour and friend of the affected homeowner, said he first became aware of the emergency when his own house began filling with smoke.
“I thought I’d set something on fire by accident, looked around my whole yard, and you could see the fire lighting up,” Mr Ferguson said.
He rushed to the burning unit with a garden hose in an attempt to control the flames before fire crews arrived, but quickly realised the blaze was too intense.
“We grabbed the hose and walked as far as we could up [the stairs], but I could only get this far from the door, so I leaned in,” he said. “After about two minutes of trying to wet it down and get the water in there, it just overwhelmed us, black smoke and electric fume smell.”
Mr Ferguson, who said he had witnessed fires before, described this incident as particularly severe. “I’ve seen a lot of fires, but never that much. Everywhere was just clouded, black fog everywhere.”
Other local residents Kahn McLeod and Jackson Wykes were returning from shopping when they spotted the fire down the street and rushed to help.
“I saw the fire coming out the back window and then it escalated to pretty much the entire back of the house – it was all on fire,” Mr McLeod said. “It was a raging fire; it came through the roof. There was a lot of people in the complex, we were just trying to help them all evacuate.”
Queensland Fire Department Inspector Luke Sokac praised crews for their swift response in containing the blaze to the original unit and preventing it from spreading to neighbouring properties.
“Upon arrival, the unit was well involved in fire,” Inspector Sokac said. “Crews managed to make entry through the front door and also via an extension ladder through a rear window. They were able to rapidly extinguish the fire.”
Fire crews conducted thorough primary and secondary searches of the structure to ensure all occupants had been accounted for.
“Thankfully, we’ve had no spread of fire throughout the structure to any neighbouring properties,” Inspector Sokac said. “At this time, we’re satisfied there is no one in the unit.”
Police investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing. Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact authorities.
Published 26-February-2026
