A Queensland dance teacher says she is "petrified" after watching her dance studio burn, allegedly set alight by three children on an overnight crime spree in Townsville.
Police said a 15-year-old and two 12-year-olds set fire to a wheelie bin outside the Currajong property just before 2am.
The fire spread to the building causing severe structural damage.
A Queensland Police spokesperson said the trio ran from the scene and set fire to a second bin before being caught.
A firefighter was taken to Townsville University Hospital in a stable condition for monitoring due to a medical condition.
Owner of AstarA Dance Company, Tara Howard, said the incident had left her "petrified" and "scared".
"I was just watching it burn in front of my eyes and I couldn't do anything about it," Ms Howard said.
"I felt like I was a living what you would watch in the movies. I still think I'm in a bit of shock."
Ms Howard estimated more than $15,000 worth of equipment had been destroyed.
"Our all our sound equipment, our mirrors, our flooring, our lighting, our gymnastics equipment," she said.
"A couple of hundred families and a couple of hundred children are depending on me right now to come up with a plan."
Community rallies in support
Ms Howard, who has run the business for eight years, said she had been overwhelmed with support from the local community.
But she said it was a confronting experience for her young students.
"I've had families reach out with their little ones sending videos to Miss Tara saying 'we love you', but I've had kids crying," she said.
"This is a second home to some children. They do their homework here, or they have dinner here.
"This youth crime, they have no idea the impact of how something so silly and careless has affected someone.
"Everyone is saying they've had enough but it falls on deaf ears."
Ms Howard said another local dance studio had offered to accommodate classes while the studio undergoes repairs, but that process could take months.
"I work 60 hours-plus a week to make sure this this studio is a safe, happy place for our community, and I'm beyond angry," she said.
"[But as] we teach our dancers, when they forget part of their dance, 'the show must go on'."
Police said the alleged offenders are assisting with investigations and will be dealt with under the Youth Justice Act.
No charges have been laid.
