A Warrnambool house that was destroyed by fire on Saturday night while the occupants were away was deliberately set alight, police said.
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A woman and her teenage son returned home to find the house and all their belongings had been destroyed.
Warrnambool Fire Brigade station officer Troy Cleverly said that two cats had perished in the blaze which destroyed the kitchen and caused extensive smoke and heat damage to every room.
Neighbours noticed smoke coming from the house on the corner of Wanstead Street and Ryan Court about 7pm and alerted the fire brigade.
Two fire crews arrived on scene within five minutes and it took them 14 minutes to bring the blaze under control.
Mr Cleverly said that when they arrived, the extent of the fire wasn’t clear with just smoke coming through the roof tiles.
However, when they went to the rear of the property they were confronted with an aggressive fire in the kitchen area.
Fire crews with breathing apparatus entered the property through both the front and rear doors.
“Given the extent of the damage, it had been burning for some time before we got there,” Mr Cleverly said.
He estimated the damage bill to be more than $60,000.
Four fire appliances and 15 firefighters helped fight the blaze.
Detective Senior Constable Richard Hughes, of the Warrnambool Crime Investigation Unit, said the house would probably have to be demolished.
Arson squad forensic chemists were on scene on Sunday to investigate the cause of the fire, and Detective Senior Constable Hughes said they had concluded that there was “no doubt” that the fire was deliberately lit.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the CIU on 5560 1174 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Meanwhile, police are investigating a series of vandal attacks on a home and business in Koroit’s main street on Saturday night.
A man who was home watching TV lost power to his property three times when vandals turned off the switches in the fuse box – the third time smashing the fuses on the ground.
Sergeant Pat Day, of Koroit police, said the power was first switched off at the man’s Commerical Road home about 11pm, then again at midnight and 1am on Sunday.
In the final attack, the vandals pulled the fuses out and smashed them on the road, destroyed his letterbox and damaged the gas meter, causing a leak.
Sergeant Day said that a passing electrician was able to help the man, but said the culprits were lucky they didn’t get “zapped” by the live power.
He said the property owner then had to call out a plumber and an electrician on Sunday morning to repair the damage which will cost thousands of dollars.
Around the same time, a copper pipe attached to a wall near the Koroit newsagent was also damaged, causing a water leak.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police.