People living on a "quiet" Huyton street where neighbours "keep themselves to themselves" were disturbed by a shocking arson attack.
Fire engines and police rushed to Woolfall Heath Avenue at around 11pm last night after the front door of a house was set ablaze.
When they arrived, they found the fire had already been extinguished by a member of the public, who was spotted fighting the flames with a fire extinguisher.
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One woman, who lives on the street, said: "I was just on my way to bed when it happened. I went to shut the blinds, turned the TV off, and I saw an orange light. I looked out and the door was on fire. I thought, oh my God.
"When I came down to the porch, I saw a man stopped in the middle of the road. He jumped out of his car with a fire extinguisher and put it out.
"There were three fire engines and four or five police cars, so it was quite intense.
"If it wasn't for the chap who stopped in the middle of the road, I think it would've been a lot worse than it was."
Officers reportedly visited neighbours seeking CCTV as they investigated the suspected arson attack.
Detective inspector James Rotheram said: “It’s still very early in this investigation, but it appears as though the fire was started deliberately.
“I’d like to thank a passer-by who noticed the fire and managed to safely put it out and alerted emergency services. It could have been a lot worse if it wasn’t for this quick thinking.
“To deliberately start a fire, especially at a residential home, is incredibly dangerous and we are determined to find the person responsible.
“If you live in the area, please check your CCTV cameras or smart doorbell footage in case you captured anything suspicious at around the time of this incident. If you were driving in the area, please review your dashcam footage. If you have any information, please get in touch.”
Scientific support remained at the scene this morning. Officers in rubber gloves were seen bagging up pieces of wood and other evidence in the front yard of the targeted house.
A male neighbour said: "Police came last night to see if we had any video evidence, going from house to house.
"People around here keep themselves to themselves. This road is a very quiet road."
A Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: "We were called to an incident on Woolfall Heath Avenue, Huyton yesterday, June 27. Crews were alerted at 11.02pm and on scene at 11.08pm. Three fire engines attended.
"On arrival, two firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the property under rapid deployment. Crews then used a ventilation fan to clear the property of smoke.
"MFRS crews left the scene with Merseyside Police at 00.29am."
Anyone with information is asked to message @MerPolCC on Twitter, or ‘Merseyside Police Contact Centre’ on Facebook quoting reference 23000574486, or contact @CrimestoppersUK on 0800 555 111.
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