Standing on the street in the early hours of the morning, Jen Fell watched helplessly as intense flames came dangerously close to her home of 13 years.
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The Ashmont resident was awoken by her neighbour's shouts just before midnight on Saturday and could smell smoke inside her Wewak Street home.
The smoke was coming from a house engulfed by fire two doors down, but in her half-asleep haze that's not what it looked like.
"I saw the smoke and thought, 'oh no, don't tell me the electric blankets have caught fire', that's the first thought I had, that it was in my house," Ms Fell said.
"Then I came outside and I couldn't believe it. I was still a bit away from the fire but it was so hot."
Police and three firefighter units had already arrived at the scene and were making haste to extinguish the blaze.
In other news:
Turvey Park fire station Commander Jeff Edwards told The Daily Advertiser it took more than half an hour to control the fire's spread.
"We were called to it by the police who had seen the smoke in the area," he said.
"When we got there, the roof was already partially collapsed and there was some extreme electrical arcing at the front. The boys had to cut the electricity and gas."
The fire had spread so rapidly it did present extreme danger to the neighbouring properties, including one across the street that has recently gone on sale.
"There was intense burning on the left of the premise, which was a concern for the other premises on that side, just with the radiant heat coming out," Mr Edwards said.
The house is now completely destroyed and the fire is being treated by police as suspicious.
It is understood the property has been vacant for at least the past two months.
"The house was never great, but that doesn't matter, the fire could have spread to all of us," Ms Fell said.
"I've been cleaning the debris off my lawn all morning. It's everywhere.
"I've seen burnt houses around here before, but you don't think it's going to happen that close to you. You don't think people would do that."
To begin the investigation, detectives attached to the Riverina Police District have asked that anyone with information about the fire contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.