A group of youths is accused of starting a fire in an empty shop in Gympie’s CBD.
Five fire crews raced to the scene on Mary Street around 1.30pm on Sunday.
They arrived to find smoke coming from the top floor of a two-storey building.
Two firefighters put on breathing apparatus in order to enter the structure and extinguish the flames.
They ventilated the building after blackening out the fire on top level around 2.30pm, before handing the scene over the police shortly before 3pm.
Police allege a 13-year-old boy and two other youths entered the shop and used an accelerant to set fire to a mattress and box.
It is also alleged one of the boys found a fire extinguisher and tried to put out the flames.
They fled the scene but officers tracked down the 13-year-old at a skate park.
He was arrested and is being dealt with under the Youth Justice Act.
Investigations are continuing.
