Heartbreak when young mother dies in caravan fire while sleeping
- Jane Strong, 26, tragically died in the fire
- A 22-year-old man was found dead in the caravan
- The caravan caught fire at 4:30 a.m. Saturday
- The investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing
A young mother and her 22-year-old friend have died after the caravan they were sleeping in caught fire.
Emergency services rushed to a rural estate on Galvin Road in Brisbane’s western Upper Brookfield at about 4:30am on Saturday and found the caravan engulfed in flames.
Jane Strong, 26, from Rosedale, north of Bundaberg, and a 22-year-old man from Lowmead were found dead in the charred ruins.
Ms Strong’s partner, Carl Weiss, suffered burns to his hands, neck and shoulders and was taken to Royal Brisbane and the Women’s Hospital in stable condition.
Brisbane District Duty Officer Inspector Karl Hahne said Mr Weiss’s burns suggested he was trying to escape or break in to help those in the caravan.
Emergency services rushed to Upper Brookfield in the early hours of Saturday morning, where they found a caravan engulfed in flames (pictured)
A young mother and her 22-year-old boyfriend were found dead in the caravan. A crime scene has been declared at the property (photo)
New mom Jane Strong, 26, (pictured with her partner Carl Weiss and their infant daughter) was identified as one of the victims. A 22-year-old man was also found dead in the caravan
“The burns are consistent with an attempt to escape the fire or possibly to warn people about the fire,” said Inspector Hahne. 9News.
The couple’s baby girl, who was born last year, slept in a neighboring house on the property during the fire.
She was found alive and unharmed.
It is clear that Mrs. Strong and Mr. Weiss stayed on the property prior to the Brookfield Show.
Inspector Hahne said several others also resided on the property, which he described as a series of structures including sheds and shipping containers.
“There were a number of people staying at the property overnight and the warning was that two were missing,” he said.
“Obviously some of them witnessed the fire, so it was quite traumatic, but we’re systematically going through, speaking to those people, so their versions understand what happened in the early hours of this morning.”
He added that the fire broke out in the caravan parked under a semi-permanent structure with a zinc roof.
The flames reduced the caravan and surrounding shed to rubble, with firefighters able to contain the blaze before it spread to a house just meters away.
Carl Weiss was taken to the Royal Women and Children’s Hospital in Brisbane in stable condition for treatment of burns sustained to his hands, neck and shoulders (photo, Jane Strong and Carl Weiss)
Police said Carl Weiss’s burns were consistent with an attempt to escape the fire or break in to help those in the caravan (pictured Carl Weiss with his partner Jane Strong and their baby)
Tim Burchmann, Acting Superintendent of Queensland Fire and Emergency Services, said fire was coming from the caravan ‘from all sides’ when emergency services arrived on the scene.
Mr Burchmann said it was not known whether the caravan had a smoke detector, but explained that the device is not a requirement for caravans.
He added that the devastating blaze would hit the tight-knit community “really hard” and encouraged neighbors to look to each other for support.
“It’s very tragic, the circumstances surrounding this incident will hit the community very hard,” Burchmann said The courier mail.
“We encourage everyone in the community to care for each other, be there and support each other.”
The Queensland Police and Fire and Emergency Services have declared the property a crime scene and are investigating the cause of the fire.