Man charged over Corindi Beach house fire: photos

A 32-year-old man has been charged over a Corindi Beach house fire and is due to front court after being kept in police custody. See the photos.

Firefighters put on breathing apparatus at the scene of a house fire at Eileen Drive, Corindi Beach, on January 18. Picture: Frank Redward.

A man has been charged in relation to a suspicious house fire north of Coffs Harbour.

Emergency services were called to Eileen Drive in Corindi Beach about 9.10pm on Tuesday, with reports of a two-storey home well alight.

Fire and Rescue NSW crews extinguished the fire before there was any major damage to the building.

A NSW Police spokesman said firefighters removed a 32-year-old man from inside the home.

Coffs Clarence Police District officers attended the scene and spoke with the man, who was uninjured.

He was arrested and taken to Coffs Harbour Health Campus for an assessment under police guard.

He was discharged from the health facility and taken to Coffs Harbour Police Station, where he was charged with destroying or damaging property, damaging property by fire, common assault and hindering a member of Fire & Rescue NSW in the exercise of their function.

He was refused bail and is due to face Coffs Harbour Local Court on Thursday.

Rich Edwards covered his face with a shirt as he entered the Corindi Beach home where a lounge was on fire. Picture: Christian Knight.

Following the fire, one Corindi Beach resident said he ran into the house nearby to ensure everyone got out safely as smoke billowed from the home.

Rich Edwards said a resident at the home had been yelling for a period of time and he was monitoring the situation from his veranda when he saw flames on the ground floor – then heard a smoke alarm activate just after 9pm on Tuesday.

Mr Edwards called Triple-0 and heard a girl call out “help”.

He said a number of people lived at the Eileen Drive home and he rushed across the road in a bid to ensure they were all out.

“I went in low with a shirt over my face”, Mr Edwards said in a bid to protect himself from the smoke.

Police speak with residents of Eileen Drive, Corindi Beach, after a house fire Tuesday night. Picture: Frank Redward

Inside, he said a lounge in the centre of the living room was on fire, but he didn’t believe it would spread immediately as the couch was well away from other furniture and curtains.

He said a man was upstairs on the second storey.

No injuries were reported.

Smoke filled the street, and firefighters extinguished the blaze in about 30 minutes.

Jason Booth from the Rural Fire Service Coffs Harbour fire control centre said the incident was handed over to police after firefighters worked together to extinguish the blaze.

The fire in a two-storey home in Eileen Drive, Corindi Beach, on January 18 was quickly extinguished by Fire and Rescue. Picture: Frank Redward

The Rural Fire Service responded with units from Corindi and Sherwood Creek and a senior group officer while Fire and Rescue had three trucks on scene – two from the Woolgoolga brigade and a hazardous materials unit from Coffs Harbour.