Man arrested after 80-year-old dies in Sydney house fire

A man has been arrested aft a location occurrence successful Sydney's soul westbound claimed nan life of 80-year-old Ted Grantham.

Just aft 4am, emergency services were called to Irrara Street, Croydon, aft reports of a fire.

Crews extinguished nan blaze, which severely damaged nan location and caused nan tile to collapse.

Grantham's assemblage was later recovered wrong nan home.

The organ subordinate astatine nan section religion was remembered arsenic a loving begetter and husband.

Investigators said nan origin of nan occurrence was unknown, but it was being treated arsenic suspicious.

Police launched an entreaty for nationalist assistance to find a 50-year-old man, who constabulary said was related to and surviving pinch nan older man, and arrested him successful Woy Woy astir 7.40pm.

Detectives from Burwood are headed to Gosford constabulary station, who constabulary declare was recovered pinch a machete hidden successful his pants.

No charges person been laid.

Superintendent Christine McDonald hailed nan efforts of constabulary from Burwood and different parts of nan state.

"This has been an intensive fewer hours to find a man we judge tin assistance pinch our inquiries into what we allege is simply a suspicious fire, and I convey my officers and each different officers who provided their assistance," she said.

McDonald earlier said nan blaze was "certainly not gang-related" and was not astatine this shape linked to immoderate different fires.

McDonald said an aged female was besides assisting constabulary pinch inquiries.

She said each 3 parties - nan woman, nan 80-year-old man, and nan 50-year-old man - appeared to beryllium related.

She besides confirmed nan 50-year-old was known to police.

The female is understood to person been astatine nan location past night, but near astir 1am.

McDonald said constabulary were not called to nan location earlier nan occurrence collapsed out.

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