An axe-wielding man has gone on a fire-lighting rampage in Melbourne's north, threatening firefighters and robbing two people before being caught by the police dog squad.
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The man set fire to a BMW sedan, a Holden sedan, a ute and a vacant house in Papworth Place, Meadow Heights, about 10.30pm on Sunday.
He then turned on firefighters who were called to extinguish the three blazes.
Metropolitan Fire Brigade crews turned their hose on the man after he threatened them twice with the axe.
The man then set fire to the fire truck, causing "relatively minor" damage.
Victoria Police Leading Senior Constable Paul Turner said the man threatened two more people with the axe and stole their wallets.
Police attended the scene and arrested the 25-year-old Tarneit man with the help of the dog squad.
He was taken with bite wounds to hospital, where he remains under police guard.
This Mercedes is one of several vehicles torched in Meadow Heights arson spree. 25yo man carrying axe arrested pic.twitter.com/3C2PwNS4Qw— Yvette Gray (@yvettegray3AW)
August 30, 2015
Dog squad arrested man after he threatened fire fighters & torched their truck as they extinguish fires @3AW693 pic.twitter.com/G0Kb9NlUkr— Yvette Gray (@yvettegray3AW) August 30, 2015
He has not yet been charged.
Leading Senior Constable Turner said the cars involved were extensively damaged and there was moderate, non-structural damage to the house.
An MFB spokesman said there was "relatively minor" damage to the fire engine's interior.