By Brendan Rees
An abandoned homestead has been gutted by a fire in Clyde North on Wednesday 27 June.
Police say there was substantial damage to the Soldiers Road property. No one was inside at the time of the blaze.
The house is believed to be located opposite Hillcrest Christian College and left in a derelict state.
An assembly of CFA fire trucks, including a breathing apparatus van, were called out from Frankston, Beaconsfield, Berwick, Cranbourne, Clyde, Upper Beaconsfield, Officer, and Narre Warren about 11.05pm.
The fire was brought under control within half an hour. Police say a passer-by noticed the blaze at the house and called triple zero.
A Victoria Police spokeswoman said it was understood the house was abandoned and pending development.
An arson chemist attended the scene on Thursday morning, 28 June to establish the cause of the fire.
Berwick CFA volunteer firefighter Peter O’Beth said his crew arrived to find half the house – believed to be an old homestead – engulfed in flames.
Nearly 60 firefighters fought the intense fire which had been reduced to rubble, Mr O’Beth said.
“We were relaying water all the way down the track from truck-to-truck,” he said.
“Once we knocked it down there was a lot of work to salvage, shifting tiles and wood to put out hot spots.”
“I checked the place out and was 99.9 per cent sure there was no asbestos so didn’t have to worry about that.”
Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
