When fire tore through Treehouse Early Learning Centre, it destroyed more than classrooms and play spaces — it wiped out a small world of children’s artwork, friendships and beloved centre animals, leaving just one little survivor at the heart of what remained.
Firefighters managed to save the centre’s pet bearded dragon, named Winston.
When Treehouse Early Learning Centre Kingston welcomed the hand-raised lizard, he was introduced as the centre’s newest friend.
“The children are very excited to have Winston join our service,” the centre said in a June 2024 social media post.
After fire destroyed the Juers Street centre in the early hours of Monday 1 June, Winston became one of the few familiar parts of Treehouse to have survived.
Queensland Fire Department crews were called about 12.50am and arrived to find the single-storey building consumed by flames, with six crews fighting the blaze from outside after the roof collapsed.
Queensland Fire Department Station Officer Shaun Meakins, from Loganlea Fire and Rescue, said crews had been at the scene for some time before they realised animals were inside.
“We had the fire mostly extinguished fully and around that time the manager for the childcare centre arrived,” Mr Meakins said.
“One of the first things that she asked me was if we were able to find the two turtles and the lizard that were inside.
“We didn’t actually know there were any pets inside beforehand.”
Treehouse had welcomed two turtles, Stella and Ella, into its Kindergarten environment in February last year, so that the children could learn how to care for them.
But Mr Meakins said firefighters believed the turtles had died in the fire.
“Unfortunately, the turtles, I believe, were deceased,” he said.
“They were at the back of the premise and it was well involved in fire, so unfortunately they weren’t able to be found.”
Further reporting has suggested fish were also lost in the blaze.
The centre manager then asked firefighters to look for Winston, pointing them towards the front office where the bearded dragon was usually kept.
Mr Meakins said the front of the building was one of the more intact parts of the centre.
“I don’t know what the chances are, but we’ll go have a look,” he said.
Firefighters went to the front office, where a window had already been broken from the outside.
“Everything inside is all blackened and sort of charred, and damaged from the fire and water,” Mr Meakins said.
“We looked inside and there was a terrarium … like a tank inside.”
Then came the moment that, among the charred timber and ash, no one would’ve expected.
“The incredible part was there’s a hole inside the tank, on the front of the tank,” Mr Meakins said.
“We’ve shone the torch inside and there’s an eye staring back at us.
“There’s an eye that’s looked back at us and it’s blinked.
“I’ve gone, ‘Holy crap. I think this lizard’s alive.’”
Mr Meakins said crews knew Winston may have been badly hurt, but decided to try to get him out.
“We’re going … this is good. We’ll try and get him out,” he said.
“There’s been quite an intense fire burning for some hours that we’ve extinguished.
“Not knowing — thinking there’s a very good chance he’s severely burnt.”
Two firefighters in breathing apparatus and full protective gear climbed into the damaged office through the window.
“They’ve taken off the lid and there’s Winston, appearing to be okay, which is wonderful,” Mr Meakins said.
“They’ve grabbed him … and he wrapped his tail around their arm.”
Firefighters carefully carried Winston from the blackened office, passed him out through the window and returned him to the centre’s owner.
A Queensland Ambulance Service paramedic who had previously worked as a vet nurse was also at the scene and helped provide immediate care.
“She had a little hot box ready to go for him and some hot beads or something like that — some hand warmers, I suppose,” Mr Meakins said.
“They put him in that little box and then the owner took him off to the emergency vet.
“That was the last we heard.”
Mr Meakins said Winston appeared to have survived against the odds, with his position in the front office likely shielding him from the worst of the fire and roof collapse.
“Everything else in this room was completely blackened out — just burnt — yet the tank was still sort of intact with a few cracks and holes here and there,” he said.
“He had a few burns around his neck.
“I’m no expert, but he seemed okay.”
“The thing that saved him, I suppose, was the office space was of a different roofline to the main building,” he said.
“Where Winston was, quite fortunately, it hadn’t collapsed.
“That was definitely a good thing for him, otherwise I dare say the result may have been different.
“Fortunately, luck was on his side that day.”
Mr Meakins said firefighters also did not know what had happened after Winston left the scene.
“I don’t know if he’s made a recovery or not,” he said.
“It’d be nice to know how he’s going.”
For the Treehouse community, Winston’s rescue is one small thread of good news, after a fire that destroyed the familiar spaces and everyday routines that over 70 families relied on.
Since the fire, MyCity Logan has been trying to trace Winston’s journey from the damaged centre to his current carer, but nearby veterinary and animal services contacted were unable to confirm where he had been treated.
For now though, we wait for news on how Logan’s little survivor is doing.
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