A man is in police custody following a fire that destroyed a longstanding family home along Bendals Main Road on Friday.

Sources indicate that the individual has confessed to deliberately setting the house alight.

The property, owned by Vi Peterson, had been in her family for generations. Though the wooden structure had deteriorated over time after she moved away, it continued to serve as a storage space for one of her sons.

The fire broke out in the mid-morning and rapidly engulfed the aging house. Fire crews responded promptly, but the flames had already consumed the building by the time they managed to bring it under control.

Authorities have yet to release the suspect’s identity, and investigations remain ongoing.