Get the appA man in a balaclava may have set himself on fire while torching a home in Sydney’s inner west, leaving four people hospitalised. Police believe the offender, who fled in a red Holden Astra, acted alone. A 49-year-old resident and police officers rescued an 88-year-old woman from the flames. The house on Weddle Ave was destroyed, and the hunt for the offender continues.
The Queensland Police Service opens its statement by acknowledging First Nations peoples, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, as Traditional Owners of lands across Australia and their connection to country and community. It pays respect to Traditional Owners and their Elders, past, present and emerging, and to the ancestors of this land and their legacy. The statement says these ancestors laid foundations that give strength, inspiration and courage to current and future generations, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous. The acknowledgement is presented as a formal opening and does not describe the fire itself.
A suspicious fire badly damaged a grocery store on Ballarat Road in Deer Park, in Melbourne's west, early on Friday. Fire crews reached the single-fronted shop within about four minutes and contained the blaze to the shop. Five neighbouring businesses suffered smoke damage. No one was inside the store, but a witness was treated for smoke inhalation. Police say a group broke into the grocery store minutes before the fire started, then fled in a utility. The fire is being treated as suspicious, and anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
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Get the appFire Rescue Victoria crews were called to a building fire in Anderson Street, Sunshine, shortly before midday on 17 October. Firefighters found a single-storey brick home well alight and tackled the blaze with hoselines. They searched the home for occupants but found no one inside, as it appeared to be unoccupied. The fire was under control at 12:06pm, 11 minutes after crews arrived. Fire Rescue Victoria will hand the scene to Victoria Police because the circumstances are suspicious.
Fire Rescue Victoria crews attended a house fire on the Old Calder Highway in Keilor early this morning. They found a double storey brick home well alight, with the blaze starting in the front entrance before spreading to the top floor. Firefighters knocked the fire down quickly and searched the home, finding no one inside. The fire was under control by 2.13am. The blaze has been deemed suspicious and will be handed to Victoria Police for investigation.
Police have launched an investigation after a fire at a double-storey brick home in Taylors Lakes was deemed suspicious. Fire Rescue Victoria crews were called shortly before 9am on 16 October and arrived within six minutes. Firefighters found smoke coming from the roof and tackled the blaze, which started at the rear of the ground floor and spread into the roof space. No one was inside the building. Crews brought the fire under control by 9.24am.
Police are investigating a suspicious fire in Yarraville, in Melbourne's west. Emergency services were called to a house fire on Wilson Street just after 11pm on 12 October. Nobody was inside the property at the time. The fire spread to two neighbouring homes, and their occupants got out safely. There were no injuries. A crime scene has been set up and the investigation is ongoing.
A tobacco store in Fitzroy North, Melbourne, was set alight on Monday morning in what police are treating as suspicious. The blaze damaged two neighbouring shops, including a vegan cafe, and close to 30 firefighters were needed to control it. Victoria Police have closed 61 stores over the past four weeks for selling illicit tobacco with alleged links to organised crime. Criminologist James Martin warned that attacks could continue unless authorities address the underlying demand for nicotine rather than relying on reactive crackdowns.
A 15-year-old boy is recovering in hospital with burns under police guard after a suspicious fire at a Korean barbecue restaurant in Melbourne's southeast. Police allege two intruders broke into the Springvale Road business shortly after midnight on Sunday, just before black smoke began pouring from the top floor. No one was inside, and the pair allegedly fled in a car. Later, the teenager was found with burns at a fast food restaurant on Warrigal Road in Heatherton. He was arrested there and taken to hospital. His condition is not known.
A 15-year-old boy is under police guard in hospital, allegedly burnt at the scene of a suspicious fire at a Korean barbecue restaurant in Springvale. Police said two males were seen breaking into the restaurant at about 12.15am on Sunday before fleeing in a car. Shortly after, the boy was found with burns at a fast-food restaurant in Heatherton, and was arrested. Police have established a crime scene and the investigation is ongoing. The incident follows a spate of firebombings and arson attacks across Melbourne in the past week.