Burnside house fire: Man charged with arson over alleged house fire, accused of stealing car hours earlier

A 37-year-old man is set to face Bunbury Magistrate’s Court over allegations he stole a car in Margaret River and later deliberately lit a house fire in Burnside. Police allege the man stole a Hyundai Lativa sedan from the main street of Margaret River about 10:30pm on Tuesday before crashing the vehicle and abandoning it a short time later on Caves Road. Several hours later, during the early hours of Wednesday, Department of Fire and Emergency Services personnel responded to a fire at a private short-stay accommodation property on Caves Road. Police say the one-bedroom home, valued about $600,000, was completely destroyed by the fire. The accused was located a short time later in the vicinity where he was arrested and conveyed to hospital for medical treatment. He was charged with criminal damage by fire, steal motor vehicle and trespassing and will appear in the Bunbury Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, June 1.