Narrow escape for five-year-old girl in suspicious Greenvale blaze
A man and five-year-old girl have escaped a fire with minor injuries after a car was driven into the garage of a Greenvale home and torched.
Police & Courts
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A five-year-old girl has escaped a burning home with minor injuries after a car was driven into the garage and set alight on Tuesday.
Emergency crews rushed to Arkose St in Greenvale, in Melbourne’s outer northern suburbs, just after 3.30am to find the single-storey brick home well alight.
CCTV footage has shown two cars, white SUV and what appears to be a white Ford Ranger, approach the home just after 3.30am.
Only minutes later, two loud explosions are heard and the Ranger, likely acting as the getaway vehicle, is seen speeding off.
More than 30 firefighters worked to tackle the blaze, which nearly destroyed the home and threatened others.
“The first Fire Rescue Victoria crew arrived on scene quickly and escalated the response as fire engulfed the single-storey brick veneer house,” an FRV statement read.
“Firefighters donned breathing apparatus and attacked the fire externally due to the intensity of the blaze.
“Hose lines were used to protect a neighbouring home that was under threat.”
A man and his five-year-old daughter escaped the fire with minor injuries.
A neighbour told the Herald Sun she heard “two loud explosions” before rushing outside to see the little girl in tears.
She said the flames were enormous and feared her own home would catch fire too.
Another neighbour said he rushed outside to help put out the fire with a garden hose, fearing for the occupants of the home.
The heroic neighbour was too fearful to be identified as his street has now been subject to a pair of suspected arson attacks within a matter of weeks.
Two vehicles parked outside another home a few doors down were torched last month in a separate attack.
A burnt-out car remained in the garage on Tuesday morning as police and fire crews examined the scene.
The car was burnt beyond recognition and the garage, like much of the home, will likely need to be torn down.
Victoria Police have deemed the fire suspicious and are investigating after it was reported a vehicle had been driven into the garage before it was torched.
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