A MOTHER and her three children could do nothing but watch as firefighters desperately tried to save their Jondaryan home as it was swallowed by flames.

Fortunately they were outside the wooden Queenslander when the fire ignited shortly before 7pm on Wednesday - a fact mother Katie Doonan said saved their lives.

"We're very lucky we got out," a tearful Ms Doonan told 7 News Toowoomba.

She and her children had been helping her neighbour and were away from the Richards Rd block when she was alerted to the rapidly-growing fire.

"Otherwise, if we had been over there sleeping, we wouldn't have got out," Ms Doonan said.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Inspector Paul Evans said a "multitude of 000 calls" were received about the fire.

"The house has been totally destroyed," he said.

Fire investigators and police scenes of crime officers returned to the property yesterday in an effort to determine the cause.

Investigations are continuing.

The family is believed to have been in the process of moving from the Jondaryan property.