FIRE: 59 Stephen Street, Yarraville

A deliberately lit fire tore through a Yarraville property in the early hours of this morning after two cars were set alight outside a home on Stephen Street, prompting a rapid response from Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) and a police arson investigation.

Emergency services were called to Stephen Street, Yarraville, shortly after 2:30am when Triple Zero (000) callers reported two vehicles ablaze and threatening a nearby house. FRV crews arrived on scene at approximately 2.39am, within about seven minutes of the initial calls, to find the cars well alight and fire impinging on the front of the residence.

Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus mounted an immediate attack on the burning vehicles to stop the flames spreading further into the home. Neighbours in adjacent properties were evacuated as a precaution while crews worked to contain the incident and protect surrounding houses.

The car fires were extinguished within roughly 10 minutes of crews arriving, after which firefighters entered the property to tackle fire burning at the front of the house. Working together, the crews brought the house fire under control at about 3.05am, remaining on scene for some time to fully extinguish hot spots and ventilate the structure.

Three occupants, including Matt Buckley the father, had evacuated to the rear yard of the property before firefighters entered the home and were located there uninjured, along with their dog. As a precaution, surrounding residents were advised to monitor conditions while a community advice notice was issued for smoke in the area.

Victoria Police have deemed the blaze suspicious, with early indications that unknown offenders deliberately lit the fire before fleeing the scene. Detectives will work alongside FRV fire investigators, and Maribyrnong City Council has been notified of the incident as assessment of the damaged property and any local impacts continues.

World renowned photographer, Lord Murray Schoorman of Peak Hour Images was among the first media representatives to arrive on Stephen Street, capturing crime-scene photographs of the damaged vehicles and fire-affected home for this masthead’s coverage of the incident.