Justice · Cobden fire chargesCobden arson charges: Four accused after father and children escaped house fireAired October 28, 2026 at 4:40 AM UTCWritten October 28, 2026 at 4:50 AM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:07A father and his two children escaped a fire that engulfed their home's front.0:10Police have charged four people over the suspected arson in Cobden.0:14One woman faces three fire charges alleging danger to life.0:17The children inside were five and sixteen.0:20What do the charges reveal about the attack and what now goes before the court?0:23Detectives arrested two women and two men after executing three search warrants, two0:28in Camperdown and one in Cobden.0:29Warnambull Crime Investigation Unit officers made the arrests at about eight in the0:33morning on twenty-seven October two thousand and twenty-six.0:36The fire happened on five February20206.0:39An appeal involving footage and a vehicle was described publicly on seventeen0:43October.0:43The arrests followed on twenty-seven October, with court appearances scheduled for0:47three of the accused on twenty-eight October.0:49The father was still home before leaving for work when he heard a loud whoosh.0:53Flames engulfed the front of the Mitchell Street house just after six in the morning0:56and forced their way inside.0:57He tried to fight the fire while calling emergency services.1:00Firefighters arrived and extinguished the blaze.1:03Detectives had warned during the earlier appeal that the fire could have had1:06devastating consequences.1:07Detective Sergeant Andrew Raven said the children could have been asleep when it was1:11lit.1:11All three members of the family escaped without injury.1:14A thirty-four-year old Cobden woman faces fifteen charges.1:18They include arson and three counts of criminal damage by fire endangering life.1:22Those charges put the danger to the people inside the home at the center of the1:25allegations.1:26Her other charges include drug possession, possessing ammunition, possessing a1:30prohibited weapon, and handling stolen goods.1:33All four accused face allegations that still have to be tested in court.1:36A forty four-year old camperdown woman and a thirty-four-year old camper-down man1:41each face charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice.1:43Conspiracy to commit an offense and methamphetamine trafficking.1:47The justice charge alleges an attempt to interfere with the legal process.1:51The thirty-four-year old man also faces a charge of committing a serious criminal1:55offense while on bail.1:56A separate camper-down man, aged fifty, faces weapon and drug offenses.2:00Police had already released CCTV showing a masked person at the front of the home2:04before flames took hold.2:05Investigators believe the person used an accelerant, a substance that helps a fire2:09spread.2:09He wore a blue hooded jacket, black trousers, and runners.2:12A silver Mazda III was another investigative lead.2:15Released images showed the car traveling toward Camperdown on Camperdown, Cobden2:20Road about five minutes after the fire.2:22It had an external sunshade on its rear, left window and damaged to the rear, left2:26bumper.2:27Police sought help identifying the filmed person and the car, along with witnesses2:31and dash cam footage.2:32Detectives had pursued several lines of inquiry.2:34They haven't publicly linked a particular defendant to the person in the footage or2:38identified who was driving the car.2:40The custody information conflicts over the fifty-year old man.2:43One account has all four remanded for twenty-eight October.2:47The detailed police announcement says he was bailed for a later appearance, with the2:50other three remanded.2:52The two women and the thirty-four year old man were scheduled to appear at2:56Warnambull Magistrates Court on twenty-eight October.2:59We don't yet know the outcome of those proceedings.3:01The fifty-year old man's later court date and custody status also need confirmation.3:05Police had described the attack as targeted.3:08They haven't explained the motive or the precise role they allege each defendant3:11played.3:12Four people now face charges after the investigation, and those allegations await3:16testing in court.Explore with HeyDexFollow via RSS
