Deliberately lit fire destroys Perth home

A Perth man and his dog have escaped a raging fire that destroyed a home in Innaloo.

Dozens of firefighters were called to battle the inferno in Shaw Street around 3:30am.

Neighbours said the flames reached three storeys into the sky.

Police say the fire was deliberately lit and flammable liquid was found at the front of the home.

“We’ve got an investigation continuing into how it got like this, but certainly when the first crews arrived the house was burning quite fiercely,” Perth District Officer Alan Crossman said.

The 61-year-old was treated by paramedics for smoke inhalation and shock.

His niece, Tania Corbett, said she was relieved her uncle wasn’t badly injured.

“He’s normally sleeping at this time, we thought we’d lost him…we thought he was dead,” she said.

“Our neighbour told us he was down the road and I was so happy, I almost cried. He’s lost everything, but I’m just glad he’s okay.”

Arson squad detectives are still investigating.