Front room of Yakamia property gutted by fire, authorities believe blaze sparked by e-scooter battery

The front room of a home in Albany has been gutted by fire while its six occupants escaped without injury from the blaze on Thursday. Firefighters rushed to the property on Target Road in Yakamia about 5pm, responding to calls of a house fire. Two career crews and one volunteer crew attended the scene, extinguishing the blaze by 5.30pm. A Department of Fire and Emergency Services spokeswoman said the fire was believed to have been sparked by an overheated e-scooter battery and the blaze was contained to the front room of the home. On Friday morning, the front yard of the home was cordoned off with DFES tape, with remnants of a burnt mattress, bed frames and other furniture scattered across the lawn. DFES reported that the windows of the front room were blown out and the front room and the rest of the house sustained significant smoke damage. None of the home’s six occupants were injured during the fire. Earlier this year, the home was one of five Albany properties targeted in a drug raid that resulted in seven people being charged. Police raided properties in Orana, McKail, Centennial Park and Yakamia on May 9. They arrested a 20-year-old woman at the Target Road property, who was charged with possession of methylamphetamine with intent to sell supply and possession of drug paraphernalia.