Firebug suspected as Elizabeth Downs disability care home destroyed in blaze

Police believe a house fire in Adelaide’s north is the latest in a spate of deliberately lit blazes across Adelaide this week.

A disability care house in Adelaide’s northern suburbs was destroyed on Friday night in what police believe was an arson attack.

Emergency services were called to the Andrews Rd, Elizabeth Downs home of 36-year-old Daniel, who wasn’t home at the time, on Friday about 11.30pm, after witnesses reported hearing windows smashing and seeing fire.

Firefighters arrived to find the house was fully ablaze but quickly extinguished the fire in about 20 minutes.

Local resident Deborah Delooff said the incident was “absolutely devastating (and) shocking”.

“He was a lovely man and doesn’t deserve what’s happened,” Ms Delooff told 7NEWS about the occupant, known as Daniel.

Another neighbour Andrew Utz said he believed the fire was “deliberately” lit while recalling the moment he witnessed the house in flames.

“We heard a window smash, someone calling out ‘Are you okay Daniel?’,” Mr Utz told 7NEWS.

An Elizabeth Downs home has been torched overnight. Source: 7NEWS.

Fortunately, the occupants weren't home during the blaze. Source: 7NEWS.

“(The fire was) leaping out over the top of the house through the roof, the whole front was on fire by the time we came around.”

His daughter, Ashley, said she was terrified by the sight of the fire.

“When I did go outside and saw the flames going up, I started to feel a bit worried and a bit scared,” she said.

“Maybe our animals, or us, might die.”

There were no reports of injuries.

Police are treating the incident as suspicious as they continue to investigate the circumstances that led to the fire.

Anyone with information that would assist the investigation is being urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online.

A disability care house has been firebombed in a cruel arson attack at Elizabeth Downs. The tenant lost everything in the fierce blaze. @pcaldicott7 #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/zxzZ9VBDjb

— 7NEWS Adelaide (@7NewsAdelaide) June 15, 2024

Local’s blistering spray after horror night in Adelaide ‘crack heaven’

A resident living in a block of housing trust units has dubbed the premises “crack heaven”, after a fire – believed to be deliberately lit – sparked inside a unit on Friday morning.

Police and emergency services were called to a vacant unit on Bonython Ave, Novar Gardens about 12.50am, after reports of a fire.

Firefighters were able to contain the blaze however, the entire property was seriously damaged with police now investigating the incident after suspecting the fire was deliberately lit.

A resident of the complex, Leah Vukovic believes squatters torched the unit – a Housing Trust home – because the property had been vacant for two months following the death of its previous tenant.

“The guy died two months ago, his house didn’t get cleaned out (and then) people went in there and lived in there, wrecked it and filled it full of crap and then last night torched it,” she told 7NEWS.

A notorious housing trust complex has gone up in flames after a deceased man’s unit was torched in a suspected arson attack. Picture: 7NEWS

‘When you move in here, you don't get moved out because it is crack heaven.’ Fed-up Novar Gardens residents have told 7NEWS they have been begging to be relocated. Picture: 7NEWS

“I don’t care what anyone says, it was done on purpose.”

Ms Vukovic said suspected squatters were also substance-abuse users.

“When you move in here, you don’t get moved out because it is crack heaven,” Ms Vukovic said.

“And then, you’ve got all the drop-in’s that come, don’t leave, and we’re overrun by them. “Are they all crackheads? Are they all on crack and just go around stealing stuff everyday?”

She recalled the moment she noticed flames coming from her neighbouring unit.

“I was away from my front door, where I can see everything,” she said.

“I noticed about four people near a bike, and I thought they were fighting over the bike, so I got my husband and said can you go see what’s going on.

“Next minute, flames are coming out the window.”

Police investigating if a notorious housing trust complex previously owned by a deceased man’s unit was torched in a suspected arson attack

Ms Vukovic said she has been trying to leave the unit for 10 years and she’s now calling for the Housing Trust to “fix” the vacant unit.

“It’s been empty now for nearly three months, but they haven’t cleaned it out,” she said.

“How disgusting is that? To leave the house like that where the guy has died and it’s been under investigation.”

A spokeswoman from South Australia Housing Authority said housing officers conducted a welfare check on neighbouring tenants on Friday, following the incident.

“There were no concerns about illegal activity at this unity. Anyone with any concerns about illegal activity should report them to SAPOL.”

The blaze caused smoke damage to the neighbouring unit and occupants of the unit block had to be evacuated. No injuries were reported.

“Fire Cause Investigators assessed the scene and determined the fire was deliberately lit but the cause is yet to be determined,” South Australia Police said.

MFS estimated damage to be $150,000.