Belmont residents concerned after spate of suspicious blazes

Belmont residents are concerned bizarre tree fires are becoming more common, with fears the blazes could lead to a house burning down.

Belmont residents are concerned bizarre tree fires thought to be started by a mysterious arsonist are becoming more common, with fears a house could burn down.

It is understood firefighters have been called to at least eight tree fires since March 10 this year.

Two trees were allegedly deliberately lit on Pavo St and Summit Ave about 9.30pm on Wednesday night.

In the early hours of March 10, four trees and a building were also allegedly deliberately torched.

Firefighters were called to the separate blazes between 3.30am and 5.30am on Johnson St, Laura Ave and Davis St as well as a vacant supermarket on Stephen St, which sustained moderate damage.

Detectives from Geelong’s Crime Investigation Unit are probing any links between the blazes.

Firefighters were also called to the former CSIRO site in Henry St on March 11 after a large tree was engulfed in flames.

In November last year, rubbish and several bins were also allegedly deliberately lit on Nagle Dr and investigated by police.

A scrub and rubbish blaze on Reynolds Rd was also probed by detectives.

Belmont resident Julie Beattie said a tree had also been torched on her nature strip.

“It’s very scary having someone ban on your door to alert you (that a tree is on fire) at 5am,” she said.

This tree on Davis St was allegedly deliberately lit. Picture: Justin van Rossum.

A Belmont resident, who lives near Summit Ave and did not wish to be named, believed the fires were becoming more common and all seemed to be located in a concentrated area within the suburb.

“There are a lot of us very worried,” she said.

“Sooner or later it’ll set a house alight, it’s just a matter of time.”

“I tried to follow it up with the police and was told there was nothing to be done.”

“Is someone putting the dots together?”

Police are investigating more deliberately lit tree fires in Belmont. Photo: Brad Fleet.

Another local resident said, “Does someone have to have their house burn down before they realise how dangerous this is?”

“Who are these crazy people who are going around setting fires to the trees on the council nature strip,” they said.

A staffer for the power company, who was at the scene on Thursday morning repairing lines after most recent fires, said workers were “sick of it”.

“This has been going on for almost two years,” he said.

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Originally published as Belmont residents concerned after spate of suspicious blazes