Woman and son rescued after arson attack

A woman, her 10-year-old son and their pet dog were rescued from a fire today during an early morning arson attack on their home in Derry.

Firefighters said the pair are lucky to be alive after a flammable substance was poured through the letterbox and set alight, trapping them upstairs.

They were woken up by a smoke alarm in the house and called the Fire and Rescue Service from a bedroom.

The PSNI said two men, aged 20 and 18, have been arrested in relation to the blaze at Harty Court in the Ballymagroarty area of Derry at 4.30am.

District commander Willie Lynch said the family were “extremely lucky to be alive”.

“We and the police are completely satisfied it was a deliberate ignition by someone pouring a flammable liquid in a letterbox and lighting it,” he said.

“Obviously anyone that does that should fully know that they are putting someone’s life at risk.”

The woman and her son were treated in hospital for smoke inhalation and released a short time later.

Mr Lynch said firefighters were at the scene within minutes of getting the call out.

“We were called by the occupants who said they were trapped upstairs,” he continued.“When we arrived the fire was in the hallway directly below the stairs so they couldn’t get out. The house was completely smoke logged at the time.”

Two firefighters tackled the blaze while others went upstairs to search for the occupants.

Mr Lynch said the boy was rescued through his bedroom window but his mother was too frightened to go down the ladder.

Once the fire was extinguished, the mother – wearing breathing apparatus and lead by firefighters – and the dog made their escape down the stairs and through the front door.

“What saved the day for this mother and child was their smoke alarm,” Mr Lynch said.

“That’s what woke them up and gave them the vital minutes to ring us. Getting that time we were able to get in and get them out.

“At that time of the night they would have been upstairs asleep and it could have been a different outcome.”

The PSNI are appealing for anyone who witnessed suspicious activity in the area around the time of the attack to contact them.