By Corey Everitt
A fire which tore through a vacant house in Pakenham in the middle of the night is being treated as suspicious.
When the clock ticked over to Monday 14 August, Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) responded to an incident after receiving reports of a fire on Atkins Road, Pakenham.
Arriving within four minutes at 12.15am, responders saw a single-storey brick dwelling fully involved in fire.
The house was deemed vacant at the time of the fire and the incident was declared under control at 1.19am.
The neighbours of the vacant property were forced to evacuate their home at the late hour due to the proximity and intensity of the fire.
According to residents on Atkins Road, the house had been vacated of its previous resident sometime within the last year.
Police were contacted regarding the incident and said the fire is being treated as suspicious.
