QUEENSLAND police have charged a man over the suspicious fire at a heritage-listed home in Brisbane.
The South Brisbane man will appear in court in Brisbane tomorrow morning.
Emergency services were called to the blaze at Hanworth House on Lytton Road, East Brisbane shortly before 12.30am Tuesday.
Queensland police said they are speaking to a man, aged in his 30s, over the suspicious fire. A police media spokesman said no charges have yet been laid.
A Department of Community Services spokeswoman said 50 per cent of the house was alight when fire crews arrived.
IN PICTURES: Fire at Hanworth House
It is not known if the house was vacant at the time but the spokeswoman said all persons were accounted for.
Devastated owner Marisa Vecchio says the 15-bedroom building was undergoing extensive renovations ahead of its 150th anniversary next year.
Ms Vecchio said she received a call from one of her tenants just before midnight to tell her the house was alight.
She purchased the historic homestead at the end of October 2012, in memory of her mother Romana Preston who passed away last year aged 73 from ovarian cancer.
"We have a very strong emotional attachment to this place," she said.
Among the many items lost in the fire were many of her mother's paintings and furniture.
"We've lost so much," she said.
"As well as precious items we had bought a lot of historical items from the church to furnish the home with," she said.
"There were floorboards we revealed that had never seen the light of day."
"All of that's gone."
IN PICTURES: Fire at Hanworth House
A grand piano had also melted in the extreme heat.
A shining light amongst the ash is a room that partially escaped the blaze.
"A tiny snippet of the room that was to named in honour of my mother and some of her first paintings have managed to survive," she said.
Ms Vecchio told ABC Radio she was eventually going to bequeath the historic home to Brisbane.
"It's devastating news for Brisbane...it's more than just about me, it's about Brisbane," she said.
Daughter Isabella described the dedication her mother had put into restoring the homestead.
"She has been here everyday since she purchased it," she said.
"This isn't just a house, this is memories of my grandmother and everyone who's ever lived here."
Ms Vecchio is pleading to the community for support following the tragedy.
"Hundreds of thousands of people drive past this home every year," she said.
"We need everyone to look up at it.
"We desperately want to hear from anyone who may have had relatives stay here at some time."
A Queensland Fire Services spokesman said the fire at Hanworth House on Lytton Road, East Brisbane was brought under control quickly but took several hours to extinguish due to a fire in the roof cavity.
He said there was extensive damage to several rooms and the roof.
Eight fire crews attended the blaze overnight, which saw police forced to close Lytton Road in both directions.
Lytton Road has now been re-opened.
IN PICTURES: Fire at Hanworth House
The 19 bedroom property, built in 1864, sold in September 2012 for more than $2 million and has been undergoing "extensive renovation and refurbishment" since November, according to the building company working on the home.
"Working closely with the Architect and Heritage Consultant, (we) are carefully bringing this significant building back to life," their website says.
The fire will be treated as suspicious until fire investigators can prove otherwise.
- reporting by Felicity Sheppard, Stephanie Bennett, Kate McKenna and Brittany Vonow
The Courier Mail 19.3.2013
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