'˜Lucky to be alive' after arson attack

A Larne man believes his family are '˜lucky to be alive' following an arson attack on his Bryan Street property at the weekend.
Danny Smith at the scene of the arson attack.Danny Smith at the scene of the arson attack.
Danny Smith at the scene of the arson attack.

Extensive damage was caused to the house after a car parked in the drive was set alight. Four adults and two children were in the property at the time and one adult was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation.

Danny Smith, aged 74, told the Larne Times that his family only managed to escape the blaze after a neighbour raised the alarm.

He is now offering a reward of £1,000 for information provided that leads to a conviction in relation to this attack.

He said: “We are lucky that the alarm was raised, otherwise we would be looking at least one death. There were children in the house at the time.

“The Fire Brigade were called, thanks to our neighbour, and they came and put the fire out, I was glad to see them arrive. The diesel in the vehicle would have caused an explosion if it wasn’t for the Fire Service.

“This could have been a lot worse.”

The Jaguar car, which Mr Smith’s son had been working on for a friend, was destroyed and the property sustained extensive damage to the kitchen windows. Scorch marks are evident on the side of the building and the second-floor window cracked under the heat.