Man charged following house boat fire south of Mandurah

It is alleged the man set fire to the pontoon boat on Estuary Road in Bouvard. The pontoon boat exploded causing around $20,000 worth of damage.

It is further alleged the man poured an accelerant into a Ford utility vehicle and inside a 'granny flat' at the location. The accelerant caused about $4,000 in total to the vehicle and flat.

The 22-year-old man from Golden Bay has been charged with two counts of Criminal Damage or Destruction of Property; and one count of Criminal Damage by Fire.

He is due to appear before the Perth Magistrates Court today, July 2.

The owner, who didn't want to be named, told the Mail he heard a big bang in the middle of the night as the boat went up in flames.

"I saw it was on fire and I was trying to put that out," he said.

"And I knew nothing about the petrol in the car or in the shed. The police told me later because they came up and said, 'Why does this car stink of petrol?' and I said, 'Well, it shouldn't, it's a diesel'. But i think the big bang [from the boat] would've frightened them off and so they didn't get a chance to light it.

"If the fire brigade hadn't come, I would've lost everything."

He had owned the boat for six years and it wasn't insured before it was completely gutted.