Residents reported hearing loud bangs and explosions, accompanied by the urgent cries of a woman pleading for help.

After firefighters managed to put out the fire, they discovered the bodies of two young boys and a woman.

It has been identified by 9News that the victims were Jordana Johnson, Jordan Norris, and Chazz Mather.

Gladstone Mayor Matt Burnett shared with the Today show that the boys were at the house for a sleepover.

“There are two sisters from one family, aged 21 and 17, and now a 17-year-old girl has lost her home, her brother, and her mother,” he said.

“You know, it’s just heartbreaking.”

He said the family were well-connected in the community, with the loss rippling out across the town.

Police put another home under guard in the same suburb yesterday, and confirmed that it was in connection to the fire.

The blaze is under investigation.