The former home of ex-Auburn deputy mayor Salim Mehajer, made famous when his extravagant wedding closed down the Lidcombe street in which it is located, has been damaged in what authorities say is a suspicious blaze.
The six-bedroom Frances Street home was sitting unoccupied at about 9.30pm on Tuesday when neighbours heard an alarm from the property and found flames darting from the second level.
Salim Mehajer’s former Lidcombe home was damaged in a suspicious fire.Credit: Nine
The front door was left open and firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze within 20 minutes, with no furniture to fuel the fire, Fire and Rescue NSW superintendent Adam Dewberry said.
However, it was enough time to significantly damage the interior of the home. Firefighters trained to spot signs of deliberately lit fires discovered suspicious burn marks.
“The responding firefighters have identified some serious areas of concern in how the fire was ignited,” Dewberry said.
A crime scene has been established and an investigation into the source of the fire is under way, a police spokesperson said.
The house, which boasts a 13-car garage and a Persian onyx staircase, in 2015 became one of the most recognisable in Sydney when Mehajer wed his partner in a ceremony involving four helicopters, a procession of sports cars and a heavy police presence.
The suburban street was shut down as the then-Auburn deputy mayor arrived at his home with his posse of Lamborghinis, a Ferrari and a motorcade.
The home would eventually become part of bankruptcy proceedings when a liquidator, backed by the tax office, found he owed almost $600,000 to a Greenacre company for the elaborate stonework inside the home.
The lavish wedding of Salim Mehajer shut down the Lidcombe street.Credit: Nine
The home was sold by the bank for $3.85 million in November. Mehajer is currently serving prison time for domestic violence and fraud offences.
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