A 22-year-old man will appear before court in the aftermath of a fire ripping through a house at Lochinvar in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Emergency services, including several Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) personnel, were called to St Helena Close about 1am on 14 January.
Crews from Branxton, Kurri Kurri, East Maitland and Maitland, as well as the Lochinvar NSW Rural Fire Service brigade, found the premises well alight.
They immediately transitioned to defensive operations, due to the intensity of the blaze.
But, despite their best efforts, the structure was extensively damaged.
Officers attached to Port Stephens-Hunter Police District arrested a male, 22, at the scene.
He was taken to John Hunter Hospital under police guard.
Meanwhile, a Sergeant suffered smoke inhalation.
He also attended John Hunter Hospital for treatment.
Officers then started investigations into the cause of the fire.
Following inquiries, the 22-year-old was charged with damage property by fire/explosion on Wednesday afternoon.
After being refused bail, he’ll front Bail Division Court 2 on Thursday 15 January.
For more news stories:
- Police ramp up search for driver who killed dog in hit and run incident
- Men charged following spate of armed robberies across Newcastle, Sydney
- Trio charged following alleged stabbing at Marketown car park
Get all the latest Newcastle news, sport, real estate, entertainment, lifestyle and more delivered straight to your inbox with the Newcastle Weekly Daily Newsletter. Sign up here.
