Barking dog alerts woman with partial deafness to arson attack on home

A barking dog alerted a woman with partial deafness to a firebombing attack on her home in Sydney’s west. 

Melanie Sullivan and her dog were inside her home on Hope Street in Penrith when flames erupted about 10pm yesterday.

CCTV shows two hooded men making their way around the brick home moments before one threw accelerant on the front door.

They can then be seen lighting it up, with one man appearing to have burnt himself in the process.
They can then be seen lighting it up, with one man appearing to have burnt himself in the process. (Nine)

The other man was seen setting the liquid alight.

The footage shows one of the men appearing to have burnt himself.

The pair then quickly fled the scene.

Sullivan told 9News she lives with epilepsy and partial deafness and was only alerted to the fire because of her barking dog, Buddy.

“I’m deaf in my right ear. If it wasn’t for my dog barking, it might have been too late,” she said.

Sullivan ran out of her home and grabbed a garden hose in an attempt to control the blaze.

“Lucky I had fire extinguishers and a fire blanket. Managed to put the fire out before the fire brigade even got here,” she said. 

No one was injured, and there was only damage to the front door. 

Sullivan said she has no idea who the hooded men were or why they would firebomb her home.

“I feel like crap. I’m really shaking, it was a really big ordeal,” she said.

“It could have killed me. I could have lost everything and my dog and me.” 

Police are investigating what they say was a targeted attack.

“It’s obviously a very brazen attack,” Detective Inspector Michael Cantrell said. 

“At this stage, we’ve got a number of lines of inquiry. We believe it is a targeted attack.”

Police are searching for the two men. Anyone with information can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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