Man arrested after abandoned Norlane house engulfed in flames

Neighbours said squatters had been living in the house, with trolleys and tarps visible in the backyard.

Fire fighters were on scene to put the blaze out.

A man has been arrested after a house in Geelong’s north where squatters had been living was engulfed in flames on Wednesday morning.

Emergency services were called to the fire scene on the Princes Highway, Norlane, near the corner of Spruhan Ave, at 7.30am.

Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) crews were on the scene within four minutes, where they found an abandoned house engulfed in flames.

An FRV spokeswoman said “crews contained the fire and searched the property to ensure no one was inside”.

“The scene was deemed under control at 7.41am,” she said.

The house was still smoking almost an hour after the blaze broke out.

Police were handed the scene after FRV crews got it under control.

“The council was notified and a building surveyor attended to assess the structural integrity of the building.”

The scene was then handed to Victoria Police, who arrested a man.

A spokeswoman said he was “located outside the property uninjured”.

“The 57-year-old man is in custody where he will be interviewed,” she said.

A neighbour said squatters had been living in the house, which had sat abandoned for “four or five years”.

She said tents had appeared in the backyard over the past month.

Shopping trolleys and what appeared to be tarps could be seen in the backyard.

Shopping trolleys and tarps could be seen in the backyard, as well as a burnt out couch.

A firefighter works to extinguish the smoking house.

The house was still smoking at 8.30am.

Police remained on scene, with Spruhan Ave closed, speaking to locals looking to catch the bus at a stop in front of the home.

They also spoke nearby residents.

Fire crews worked inside the structure to put out what remained of the blaze.

The entire house appeared to be burnt out, with parts of the roof caved in and the back walls collapsed.

A burnt out couch could be seen in the backyard.

The north facing boundary of the block was cordoned off with temporary fencing.

The empty block of land adjacent to the property on the corner of Spruhan Ave and the Princes Highway service road had a sold sign displayed.

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Originally published as Man arrested after abandoned Norlane house engulfed in flames