A deliberately caused fire in Ebenthal near Klagenfurt early Wednesday morning destroyed a car and severely damaged a garage and a house. A family of four, who were inside the house at the time, managed to escape. After extensive investigations, the suspected arsonist, a 60-year-old man, was arrested, the police reported in a press release.

The fire started around 5:20 AM when a car in the driveway caught fire. The flames then spread to the garage and the adjacent house. At the time, the homeowners, a 35-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman, along with their two children, were inside the house. Neighbors noticed the fire and woke the family, allowing them to escape the house. Firefighters from two fire departments were able to prevent the fire from spreading further. No one was injured, but the damage is estimated to be in the six-figure Euro range, according to initial estimates.

The fire investigation by the criminal police, in cooperation with a fire expert, confirmed that the fire had been deliberately set. Eventually, a 60-year-old man from the municipality of Ebenthal was identified as the prime suspect and arrested. He was taken to the Klagenfurt correctional facility but has not yet confessed or provided any details about the motive, according to the police.