Suspicious fire razes new $1m family home
A FAMILY has been left devastated after the new home under construction that they were only months away from moving into was destroyed by fire.
Police said initial investigations indicated the blaze at the property on Heatherbell Road, Forcett, could be suspicious, with the damage bill estimated to be close to $1m.
No one was home at the time of the fire and it took some time to control after
firefighting crews responded about 11am on Wednesday.
It was a devastating blow for property owner Josh Muskett, who had been building the new home with wife Tameka for the past few years.
It was almost ready to be a new home for the couple and their three children Holly, Cooper and Xavier. The family had been living at the site in a shed on the property while construction continued.
Mr Muskett said he was saddened and disappointed by the fire.
“It was ready for carpet, tiles and the joinery,’’ he said.
“Everything else was done and ready. I thought we might have been in for this winter but we won’t be now.
“We’ll just try and get through the night with a bit of sleep tonight with the kids. My wife has just picked them up from school now, they are pretty upset about it too.”
Mr Muskett said he was at work when he got a phone call to alert him to the fire. He said the property was insured.
Tasmania Police’s Inspector
Gavin Hallett said the house was engulfed in flames when emergency services responded.
“It took some time to bring the fire under control,’’ he said.
He said while the cause of the fire was yet to be determined, police believed it had been deliberately lit.
“We’ll run our investigation to see if we can work out the cause and who might have caused the fire,’’ Inspector Hallett said.
“We’ve spoken to witnesses in the area and the detectives are following an investigation at the moment.”
Several police uniform and forensic services and several fire crews remained on site late on Wednesday afternoon as smoke continued to rise from the smouldering structure.
Police asked for information on any people or vehicles seen acting suspiciously in the area around the time of the fire. Phone Bellerive CIB on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.