Detectives investigating circumstances of suspicious blaze at abandoned Rockingham Hotel

A blaze in an abandoned building in Perth’s south has been deemed suspicious, with detectives investigating how the fire started. The abandoned Rockingham Hotel on Kent Street went up in flames on Thursday night with firefighters rushing to the scene to contain the blaze. The City of Rockingham is currently seeking comment on two planning proposals relating to the hotel — one is a request for the pub’s Local Heritage List status to be modified, and the other is to seek approval for its demolition. The Department of Fire and Emergency Services were called to the blaze about 6pm. Firefighters requested assistance from police to redirect traffic shortly after. Footage shows firefighters shoving hoses through the window into the burning structure. The fire ripped through one room of the building on the second floor before it was contained. No injuries have been reported and the blaze was reportedly extinguished shortly after 7pm. Rockingham detectives are investigating the circumstances surrounding the fire, which at this time is being treated as suspicious. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or report the information online here. Rewards of up to $25,000 are available for information that leads to the identification and conviction of an arsonist.