A SUSPECTED arson attack that has left a Trowbridge woman’s life hanging in the balance has forced her neighbour to leave her home for six months due to the damage caused by a raging house fire.

Carol Powell, of Frome Road, was in bed when she heard frantic banging on her front door at around 1.30am.

When the 66-year-old answered the door, two men from Frome told her that a fire was burning in the house next door and to get to safety.

Mrs Powell raced into the kitchen to rescue her two kittens, before hurrying outside for several hours whilst the area was made safe.

“It is not safe to stay in my house anymore but it could have been so much worse- I got lucky,” she said.

“When I opened the door to the two men, they told me to get out, fast. I saw the flames licking the windows next door, you could feel the heat.

“This is such a horrible situation and I pray that the woman is okay. Now that I think about it, had it not been for those two men from Frome who knocked on my door, I don’t know what could have happened. They are two Good Samaritans who I wish I could thank.

“We have had the surveyors in and they said I could be in temporary accommodation for six months. I was told not to use the electrics as it is dangerous.

“Me and my kittens were the only ones in the house, which has scorch marks and smoke damage, it makes me ill just being here.”

Mrs Powell also heaped praise on the firefighters.

“They put their lives at risk. Their bravery was heroic. They went above and beyond the call of duty,” said Mrs Powell.

“I had to wait outside for hours whilst they worked tirelessly to make it safe, they did brilliantly.”

Most of the tenants’ possessions were destroyed in the fire, which prompted the local community to come together and donate clothes to help them out.

Chloe Wiltshire, of nearby Bond Street, said: “One of the tenants was out and when he came back, he found part of the house had been burned down, destroying his possessions.

“As nothing could be salvaged, a Polish friend of his put out an appeal to help him so nearly 10 people have come together to donate several sacks of clothes for him.

“This is a great example of how we can actively support the community.”

Adam Zielkinski, who lives opposite the house, said: “I heard voices out on the street at around midnight. I heard arguing and then fighting. I ignored it as I didn’t think much of it so I went back to sleep.

“At 2am I saw the emergency services lights. The firefighters did a really good job.”