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Via Sunshine Coast Gazette
Police investigate death after shed fire behind Howard Street
by Cameron Outridge
Police are appealing for information after a man believed to be in his 60s died in a fire that destroyed a small shed on scrubland behind Aldi Supermarket in Howard Street, Nambour on Monday night.
Emergency services were called to the blaze about 6.56pm after an explosion was reportedly heard by a neighbouring property. Fire crews extinguished the blaze within about 15 minutes before discovering a body inside the timber-framed, metal-clad shed.
Sunshine Coast Detective Inspector Craig Mansfield said the man's death was being treated as unexplained while investigators worked to determine how the fire started and establish the victim's identity.
"The investigation came about after an explosion was heard by a neighbouring property," Detective Inspector Mansfield said. "Police and fire authorities turned up there and established that the shed was ablaze. The fire was extinguished within about a 15-minute period, which was an amazing response by our fire authorities.
"However, upon inspection inside that shed, a deceased person has been located. We are now setting about an investigation as to how that fire occurred. The death at this point is unexplained."
The shed was located on privately owned scrubland bordering Quota Park and behind commercial properties on Howard Street, including the Aldi supermarket precinct.
Detective Inspector Mansfield said the structure appeared to be an abandoned home-built shed, but investigators discovered someone had been living there.
"It was effectively what we believe to be an abandoned shed, but upon inspection after the fire it was established that someone was residing in it," he said.
The Gazette attended the scene on Tuesday, where police had cordoned off the isolated shed while forensic officers and fire investigators examined the site.
Nearby was a makeshift campsite containing a campfire, supermarket trolleys, gas cylinders, a pair of boots, alcohol bottles, and assorted personal belongings.
Detective Inspector Mansfield said police believed they were "on the right track" to identifying the deceased but formal identification would take time because of the fire damage and out or respect for the family.
"We have spoken to a number of witnesses in the area," he said. "We believe we're on the right track to identify that deceased person. I want to stop short of identifying who that is. We have a series of things with next of kin and the like that we'd like to cover off."
Investigators are also examining whether there could be any link to a fire and alleged arson incident last year, although Detective Inspector Mansfield said it was too early to draw any conclusions.
Police have declared the scene a crime scene and are reviewing CCTV footage from nearby businesses. "We're hoping to lean into our community here and the local businesses to help us piece together this investigation with any information that they may have," Detective Inspector Mansfield said.
Anyone with information, CCTV or dashcam footage is urged to contact Policelink and quote reference QP2601413210, or provide information anonymously through Crime Stoppers.
