Man charged after fire causes $500k of damage to Perth home

A man has been charged with starting a fire that destroyed a home in Perth’s west yesterday afternoon.

Police will allege the 52-year-old Yokine man forced open the front door of the Cowle Street house, before throwing a lit cigarette into a pile of papers inside.

This then caught fire, with the blaze eventually destroying the house and an adjoining property causing an estimated $500,000 worth of damage.

More than 32 firefighters were called to battle the blaze which started just before 4.30pm (WST).

Police initially held grave concerns for two people who were feared to be inside the property, but a search later confirmed no one was inside the home at the time.

The man will appear before Perth Magistrates Court today, charged with criminal damage by fire and burglary and commit.