Police search for potential arsonists as homes lucky to escape grass fires

Deliberately lit fires caused chaos in Alice Springs overnight, with significant property damage.

Alice Springs police station. Picture: Gera Kazakov

Welcome to the NT News’ weekly Alice Springs and Central rolling police, crime, traffic, fire and breaking news blog. Keep up with the latest news from Alice Springs right up to the Barkly.

February 19, 2.20am: A fully restored vintage motorcycle and a newly built “man cave” were destroyed when a number of deliberately lit grass fires caused chaos in Alice Sprngs early Wednesday morning.

Alice Springs Watch Commander Senior Sergeant Andrew Dunne said police and fieries were contacted about a number of small grass fires burning at a causeway on Telegraph Terrace at about 2.20am.

He said the initial report indicated the fires were starting to spread across the causeway and encroach on up to three residential properties on Bloomfield Street.

At least two Fire and Emergency Services units and three police units attended the scene as well as St John paramedics.

It took crews more than an hour to extinguish the fires, with at least one Bloomfield Street resident also helping battle the flames.

Sgt Dunne said the blaze caused considerable property damage before being extinguished and the efforts of fieries and police helped prevent family homes from also being destroyed.

“As a result of those fast moving fires, three garden sheds were fully engulfed and there has been significant loss of property,” Sgt Dunne said.

“We believe in one of the sheds was a fully restored 1967 Triumph motorcycle and in another shed that a resident had just finished a man cave, which had some significant memorabilia attached, so that’s been fully destroyed.”

Nobody was injured in the blaze, and no residential homes were damaged. While the cause of the fires is yet to be determined, authorities believe they were deliberately lit and a crime scene has been established. Crews were at the scene for several hours ensuring all fires were extinguished.

Sgt Dunne said police were seeking assistance from anybody with dashcam vision in the area from about 2am, particularly between Tom Brown roundabout travelling north into town at around the time, before or after the fires began.

Anybody who can assist police can contact 131444, quoting reference number P25048259.

Three teens on the run after alleged Red Centre home break in, car stolen

February 17, 11.10pm: Three youth offenders are at large after they allegedly broke into an unoccupied Alice Springs residence and stole a vehicle.

About 11.10pm Monday, Northern Territory Police received reports of three youths – whose ages are unknown at this stage – who allegedly broke into a gated unit complex in The Gap.

It is alleged the three offenders broke into an unoccupied unit in the gated complex and stole the keys to a silver Toyota Camry.

Police allege the three offenders then rammed the Camry through the front gate of the complex, causing extensive damage to the gate and the vehicle.

The vehicle was later spotted on Gregory Tce, near the Alice Springs CBD, with “at least” three youths hanging out the windows, according to police.

After monitoring the vehicle through East Side, police later found the vehicle abandoned in the suburb of Sadadeen, east of the CBD, and had it towed to a police compound for forensic testing.

Investigations are still continuing and the alleged offenders remain at large at the time of publication.

Man arrested after fleeing from cops in the Red Centre

February 17, 12pm: A man is in custody over an alleged burglary which police have linked to a car crash where the driver was found with stab wounds.

NT Police said they arrested a 23-year-old man on Monday morning in relation to a home invasion which occurred at a Smith Street residence in Alice Springs on Thursday.

The man was arrested “without incident” after a “short pursuit,” police said in a statement.

Police said they attempted to make the arrest after the man initially fled from police on Todd St.

In a statement released on Friday, police said three men and a woman were believed to be involved in the alleged burglary on Thursday evening.

No mention was made of the other three people sought in relation to the alleged burglary, during which a 51-year-old man was threatened and his blue Toyota HiLux stolen, police said on Friday.

NT police are investigating a car crash where the driver of a white Toyota HiLux was found allegedly stabbed on Friday, February 14. Picture: Action For Alice

The four linked to the alleged burglary were later linked to a crash in Alice Springs on Friday morning, where police found a 46-year-old male driver of a white Toyota HiLux with stab wounds after he crashed.

On Friday, police told this masthead they believe the four people involved in the home invasion were persons of interest in the stabbing investigation.

The 23-year-old arrested on Monday was yet to be charged at time of publication.

Originally published as Police search for potential arsonists as homes lucky to escape grass fires