Man in balaclava flees after torching Sydney house, four hospitalised
Man in balaclava torches Sydney house and flees in red Holden Astra; four hospitalised.
Emergency services rushed to Abbotsford in Sydney's inner west around 4:20am on Tuesday after multiple Triple Zero calls about a house fire. Forty firefighters with 10 trucks arrived to find a rapidly expanding blaze that spread to an adjoining home.
An 88-year-old woman, her son and his wife were treated for smoke inhalation at hospital. A 49-year-old man who climbed a ladder to rescue the elderly woman was also hospitalised.
A neighbour bravely confronted the suspect while he was setting the fire. Police say the man wore a balaclava, was believed to have used an accelerant, and fled in a red Holden Astra with burns on his body.
One officer who graduated in August scaled a ladder while the house was fully alight to help with the rescue. Police are hunting the suspect and urging nearby residents to check their CCTV footage.
- 40 with 10 trucks
- Firefighters
- Tuesday 4:20am
- Time
- Abbotsford, Sydney's inner west
- Location
- 4 people
- Hospitalised
Why it mattersFour people are in hospital from smoke inhalation in what police treat as a serious crime, with a dangerous suspect still at large.
AustraliaSydney residents in and around Abbotsford and Russell Lea are being asked to check security footage to help police locate the suspect.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 1 h ago
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