<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Police are investigating whether children were doused with an accelerant before a fire tore through a home and claimed three lives in Toowoomba, Queensland.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Seven people — a 34-year-old man, a 36-year-old woman and five children — were inside the Harristown home when it was engulfed in flames about 12.30am on Wednesday.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The adults and four of the children managed to escape before firefighters extinguished the blaze.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/federal-election-2025-the-race-narrows-in-the-remaining-seats-that-are-still-too-close-to-call/dbfdc4fb-9795-48b6-a30f-0898e25701ff" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Teal independent refuses to concede defeat despite Liberal victory</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A nine-year-old boy was found dead inside and two girls, aged four and seven, later died in hospital from their injuries. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The woman, the children's mother, remains at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital under police guard.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She has been in a critical condition and unable to be interviewed by police. </span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/toowoomba-harristown-house-fire-police-investigate-accelerant-use-after-three-children-die/0cf3b7a7-08d3-407d-8ac0-144b7de3834d" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Today, the investigation widened with officers from the drug squad now joining forensic officers at the crime scene.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Police confirmed they are also probing whether the children were doused with an accelerant before the house was set alight.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Floral tributes are being left outside the home for the three young children who died.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Their school has released a statement, offering counselling for any affected students.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple App Store</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google Play</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>.</span></em></strong><span></span></div></div>