The daughter of a pensioner trapped inside her Antrim home during an arson attack tried to smash the front window in a desperate bid to save her mother, neighbours have said.
Residents living in the Rathglynn area told The Irish News of how the woman used a plant pot sitting outside her mother’s house to try and break the window.
One neighbour said a black wheelie bin is believed to have been placed at the front door of the property and set on fire.
Police said they are treating the incident, which happened shortly after 3am on Tuesday, as “arson with intent”.
The elderly resident, who is aged in her 70s and is understood to have hearing difficulties, suffered burns to her hands and smoke inhalation. She was taken to hospital for treatment.
Residents living nearby said the pensioner’s daughter and her partner, who had arrived on the scene, had tried to rescue the woman from the fire.
“We had woke as we heard the smoke alarm going and we could smell smoke,” a neighbour said.
“The woman’s daughter arrived and tried to smash the front window with a plant pot, she had cuts up her arm because of the smashed glass.
“The woman in the house is deaf, so probably couldn’t hear the smoke alarm going.
“There was a black wheelie bin pushed up to the front door.
“It was terrifying.”
Forensic officers carried out investigations at the scene on Tuesday, including using a drone to survey the damage from the sky.
A friend of the woman, who had arrived at the scene around lunchtime to survey the damage, spoke of her “shock” at what had happened.
She also described the pensioner as a “quiet wee woman” who “kept herself to herself”.
A PSNI spokesperson said: “At around 3.20am, it was reported to police that a property in the area was set alight.
“It was reported that a woman in her 70s was inside the property at the time. She was taken to hospital for treatment to burns to her hands and smoke inhalation following the incident.
“A woman aged in her 40s was treated for both smoke inhalation and injuries to her hands, as she attempted to free the woman from the property.
“Another man, also aged in his 40s was also treated for smoke inhalation as he attempted to provide assistance
“Colleagues from Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service, who were already in attendance, dealt with the fire.
“The property was significantly damaged and at this stage, the incident is being treated as arson with intent.”
The spokesperson for the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) said: “Firefighters rescued one casualty from the property and they were transferred to the care of the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service.”
SDLP councillor Roisin Lynch said it was “an absolutely disgraceful incident”.
“This must have been an absolutely terrifying experience for this woman and I can’t begin to imagine why anyone would target the home of an older person in this way,” she said.
“I would like to commend the man and woman who did their best to help this woman escape the fire and the fire service for their response.
“Without them we could have been dealing with an awful tragedy this morning.
“People in this area are shocked that this has happened on their doorsteps and that a member of their community was placed in harm’s way.
“I would urge anyone with any information about this incident to come forward to police. Anyone who would target or harm an elderly woman in this way poses a serious risk and must be held accountable for their actions.”
Alliance councillor Neil Kelly also said: “This is an extremely distressing incident, both for the victim and the wider community as a whole.
“My thoughts and sympathies are with her and those that courageously came to her aid as they recover both mentally and physically from this ordeal.
“We can only be glad nobody was more seriously injured, and I would like to extend my thanks to the NIFRS for their quick and effective action in containing the blaze.”
Sinn Féin’s Lucille O’Hagan said she was “horrified” by the attack, which “was carried out in the dead of night in the full knowledge that this resident would be asleep and at her most vulnerable”.
“I can’t imagine how terrified this lady must have felt to awaken to the front of her home engulfed in flames,” she said.
“There is little doubt that the victim of this arson attack was fortunate to escape with her life. I hope she makes a speedy recovery from her injuries and and that those responsible are quickly apprehended.”
