Suspicious blaze at Newcomb house up for sale
Police are investigating a fire that started inside a Newcomb house on Sunday morning.
Geelong
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Police are investigating a fire that started inside a vacant Newcomb house that was up for sale.
Flames erupted in the house on Pitman St just before 10am on Sunday morning. From outside, the home – which has had a fresh coast of paint – did not look significantly damaged.
Police tape across the driveway sat just centimetres from a real estate agent’s “for sale” sign.
Ken Irwin, who lives on the street, said he couldn’t see the flames, but many residents had gathered outside to watch emergency services in action.
Mr Irwin said neighbours had theories about how the blaze started in the empty home, but no one really knew.
“Anyone could have done it,” he said.
A Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) spokesman said firefighters responded to reports of a structure fire at 9.58am on Pitman St, arriving on the scene within five minutes to find parts of the building well alight.
“Crews wore breathing apparatus to battle the blaze and brought it under control at 10.23am,” he said.
The spokesman said no one was inside the house at the time.
The incident was deemed suspicious, and the scene was handed to Victoria Police.
A Victoria Police spokesman said it was understood the fire started inside about 10am.
“No one was inside at the time and the building sustained minor damage,” he said.
The spokesman said the exact circumstances surrounding the fire were yet to be determined, however, detectives were treating the incident as suspicious.
The fire follow a suspicious fire that destroyed two vacant historic cottages on Church St in Geelong West in July.
Anyone who witnessed the incident or with information or CCTV is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
Originally published as Suspicious blaze at Newcomb house up for sale
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