A neighbour’s quick thinking stopped a house from being engulfed in flames after an arson attack in Wodonga yesterday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Rubbish at the Hibbett Crescent Department of Housing home was set alight about 4.50pm.
Witnesses saw at least one youth, possibly two, aged about 15, jumping the back fence of the property and fleeing across a nearby oval after the incident.
Val Davis, who lives next door, grabbed a hose and helped extinguish the blaze after noticing flames and smoke.
“The dog was going off and I could smell something burning,” she said.
“I came out to investigate and there was smoke, then I saw flames, so I put the hose on it.
“I was hosing it for a good 15 minutes.”
Nearby resident Claire Harris said someone had removed a flyscreen from the home and appeared to have tried to slide the window open, leaving fingerprints.
Police examined the scene yesterday and removed the flyscreen to dust for prints.
Firefighter Brett Myers said Ms Davis had stopped the fire spreading to the home.
“The fire was up against the brick wall and there’s a small amount of smoke damage to the eve of the house but other than that, not much damage at all,” he said.
“That was averted by the quick-thinking action of the neighbour.
“It was a very lucky escape.
“Had she not been at home or smelt the smoke, the fire could quite easily have taken hold of the house and spread into the roof space, and pot-entially set the house on fire.”
Ms Harris said she had told the department the home had been vacant and gathering rubbish on several occasions.
The side of the property is strewn with litter and long grass is growing in the backyard.
“It’s been abandoned since at least November last year,” she said.
“I’ve been worried about this happening for some time.”
The Department of Housing could not be reached for comment.