Man charged following second fire in Corio within 24 hours as allegedly stolen ute is destroyed on nature strip, just metres from home

A man has been charged after an allegedly stolen ute went up in flames just metres from a Corio home in the second fire to hit the suburb within 24 hours.

Detectives leave a Teleta Cres address after a ute went up in flames in suspicious circumstances.

A man has been charged after an allegedly stolen ute went up in flames just metres from a Corio home in the second fire to hit the suburb within 24 hours.

A ute has been destroyed in suspicious circumstances on the corner of Teleta Cres and Purnell Rd, Corio.

Just after 2pm on Saturday, Fire Rescue Victoria crews were called to a property located on the corner of Purnell Rd and Teleta Cres.

The ute, which carried New South Wales number plates, was ablaze on the nature strip upon their arrival.

Charred remains of a toolset and related items could later be seen in the ute’s tray, while a number of other burnt items were scattered nearby.

The vehicle was allegedly stolen from Lara between March 25-27 and a 23-year-old Corio man was arrested at the scene.

He has been charged with theft of a motor vehicle and was bailed to appear before Geelong Magistrates’ Court on April 30.

A Victoria Police spokeswoman said the fire is not believed to be suspicious at this stage.

After the fire was extinguished, two women were seen coming in and out of the front door of the property.

A small number of people looked on as two detectives inspected the remains of the vehicle and spoke with the women.

There was damage to the grass inside the property’s perimeter, as well as the fence.

A nearby power pole was deemed structurally safe by Powercor workers.

Powercor workers attended the scene to ensure the power pole remained structurally sound.

The incident came a day after a Chaffey Square property 2.5km away was completely gutted.

Police initially believed the fire was suspicious, however after further investigations, a spokeswoman said that was no longer the case.

It is believed the fire started as a result of a gas bottle exploding in the backyard after an individual accidentally caused it to leak.

There was also a house fire in Jendes Lane in Charlemont on Friday morning that is not being treated as suspicious.

Originally published as Man charged following second fire in Corio within 24 hours as allegedly stolen ute is destroyed on nature strip, just metres from home