By TRACEY PRISK
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AN incident between a mother and her 23-year-old son escalated on Sunday afternoon when the young man allegedly armed himself with knives and set fire to the Cudal home he shares with his parents.
Canobolas Local Area Command Inspector Bruce Grassick said police were already on their way to the Main Street house to talk to the man when they learnt of the fire.
Inspector Grassick said the man’s mother had contacted police with concerns about her son’s mental health after he took posession of the knives.
“He hadn’t threatened her but she’d left the house to seek some assistance, and the police were on their way,” he said.
Inspector Grassick said the man was found in the park opposite the house having called triple-0 to report the fire.
“He also made certain admissions about the fire to the triple-0 operator,” he said.
A neighbour had also reported the fire.
Inspector Grassick said despite initial reports there was someone trapped in the house, there was no one home at the time the fire started about 4pm.
Rural Fire Service crews extinguished the fire a short time later, however, there was heat, fire and smoke damage to the front of the house and smoke damage to the rest of the property.
Canobolas Local Area Command established a crime scene on Sunday and forensic specialists spent yesterday afternoon at the property.
At 11pm on Sunday police arrested the man.
He was taken to Orange Police Station and charged with causing more than $15,000 fire damage to a property.
He was refused bail and appeared at Orange Local Court yesterday, where he was referred to an Orange mental health facility for assessment.
tracey.prisk@fairfaxmedia.com.au