Geelong West cottages destroyed following suspicious fire that saw flames reach 4m high

A man has described the moment he “thought my place would be gone next” as he watched two Church St cottages go up in flames in the early hours of Friday.

Two historic cottages in Geelong West have been destroyed following a suspicious fire in the early hours of Friday morning.

Emergency crews were called to the vacant Church St properties about 2am where they found the cottages “fully alight”.

A police spokeswoman said the fire was being treated as suspicious.

Photos from the scene show flames as high as 4m and smoke billowing from the cottages.

Two historic Geelong West cottages went up in flames. Picture: Dale Towan

The scene on Friday morning. Picture: Alison Wynd.

The scene on Friday morning. Picture: Alison Wynd.

The front cottage remained standing but was completely destroyed, while the second cottage at the rear of the property had collapsed.

A brick fire place and chimney were severely damaged.

Dale Towan lives next door to the property and woke up to “popping and crackling” noises.

He dialled triple-0 and evacuated his home, along with other nearby residents.

“I was standing across the road, watching it burn and I thought my place would be gone next,” he said.

Mr Towan’s single-storey home was damaged in the blaze.

A number of weatherboards on the eastern side of his property were burnt and a window had been smashed.

Electrical cords, his airconditioning unit and hardware items in his shed had melted from the blaze’s intense heat.

Mr Towan’s house was damaged. Picture: Alison Wynd.

Melted containers in the garden shed. Picture: Alison Wynd

Crews told Mr Towan his fence and double blinds on his windows saved his property, as they protected embers from flying into his home.

Mr Towan said the property where the fire occurred had been abandoned since at least 2010, when he moved into his house.

He said there had occasionally been squatters but none he had seen recently.

Mr Towan said the cottages were built around a century agao and had been moved to Church St from near the former Ford factory in Norlane.

Police guard the Geelong West cottages. Picture: Alison Wynd

The cottages were located next door to a childcare centre and indoor playground, which were not damaged in the blaze.

Children were seen at the centre on Friday morning.

Fire crews took about 20 minutes to get the blaze under control.

They remained on the scene until about 4am.

A large pine tree on the property was continuing to smoulder at 8am Friday.

Originally published as Geelong West cottages destroyed following suspicious fire that saw flames reach 4m high