Brighton home damaged in blaze

Firefighters suspect a blaze that caused $500,000 in damage to an unoccupied house
in the bayside suburb of Brighton was deliberately lit.
A spokesman for the Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB) says there are suspicious
circumstances surrounding the fire which started in the Dendy Street home about
10.00am (AEST) on Saturday.
The 82-year-old owner has been living in a nursing home and her son, who lives at
the address, is overseas.
The fire appeared to have been set in a front room of the single-storey solid brick
house with flames burning through the ceiling and engulfing the entire roof space,
the MFB spokesman said on Saturday.
"As some fire crews were tackling the blaze at the front, others were searching the
rear of the premises to ensure there was no one trapped inside." The blaze took more
than half an hour to bring under control.