The charred remains of a brick veneer house have become a crime scene after a suspicious blaze ripped through and destroyed the Koonawarra home Sunday morning.
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Emergency services were called just after 8:30am to Kimbarra Crescent to find the public housing residence engulfed in flames and neighbours standing around helpless.
Four fire crews, police and a HAZMAT team were called to attend, taking around an hour for them to control the blaze.
“We suspect there was asbestos due to the age of the building, [we took] decontamination measures around it,” Fire NSW Duty Commander Jeremy Hood said.
“We will be handing it over to police as a crime scene.”
A neighbour, who wished not to be named, said he was lying in bed when he heard a loud bang “like an explosion” and commotion in the street.
“People were yelling ‘have you got an extinguisher, there’s a fire there’s a fire!’” he said
“So I ran up with the fire extinguishers but there was nothing you could do.
“There was no way, it was intense in there.”
Duty Commander Hood said it was common to hear bangs during house fires, often the result of exploding gas bottles or aerosol cans.
He said it was now up to police to investigate the circumstances which sparked the blaze.
The occupants – a 43-year-old man and his 18-year-old son – were holidaying on the South Coast at the time of the fire, though raced back when told of the news.
A pet dog was killed in the fire while it’s believed a number of puppies and a cat were rescued from the backyard by a neighbour.
Extended family members of the pair were seen gathered in the street, watching on as the smoke subsided and the realisation everything had been lost hit home.
Sergeant Andrew Birch from Lake Illawarra Local Area Command could not confirm reports of two men spotted running away from the scene though it was “a line of inquiry” they were looking into.
Sergeant Birch also did not think the fire was linked with a violent home invasion at the nearby Gareema Avenue on September 18, thought noted investigations were in early stages.
Investigations are ongoing and anyone with information should contact Lake Illawarra police station or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.