THE victim of an early morning arson attack has spoken of how her pet dog raised the alarm and saved her life.

Sharon Maher was dozing on the settee in the living room of her maisonette in Essex Close with her six-year-old English Bull Terrier, Suggs, when the drama unfolded at 2am today.

The incident came on the same night firefighters were called to another suspected arson attack when a large firework was pushed through the letterbox of a property in Blackburn Street, Blackburn at 3.30am.

The firework exploded and the house was evacuated before firefighters arrived.

Both incidents were reported to the police.

Rubbish, including an old TV, stacked on the balcony outside Miss Maher’s front door was set on fire and the flames quickly spread.

Flames soon engulfed washing out on the line and started to lick at her front door.

The nearby kitchen window had been left open and smoke and debris was also entering the flat.

Miss Maher, 37, said: “I was laying on the settee, dozing in front of the TV.

“I would have been none the wiser if it hadn’t been for Suggs starting to bark.

“Then I noticed a crackling sound and I got up to see what was going on.

“When I looked through the pane of glass in my hall I could see flames and panicked a bit.

“I ran to get the lead and collar for Suggs and drag-ged him out but he wasn’t really for coming.

“Eventually I managed to move him and we got out of the front door, which is the only exit. We avoided the flames by about a foot.”

Miss Maher waited outside on the road with neighbours while fire crews extinguished flames and made the flat safe.

She added: “I’m in shock. I was really scared.

“The curtains are ruined, there’s debris all over the floor, the chairs, the kitchen, and Suggs looks like a dalmation now but he should be white.

“It’s going to be a massive clean-up operation and I’m not insured, but I’m trying to stay positive and move on.

“I’m a very, very, very, lucky person – if it wasn’t for my dog, I could be dead.”

Neighbours have told Miss Maher that they saw a car arrive in the Close shortly before the fire began.

The matter is now being investigated by the police.

Watch manager Steve Harrison said: “The occupants of both of these properties have been very, very lucky.

“The lady in Essex Close was lucky she had been awake and the neighbour spotted the fire and contacted us.

“She had no other way to exit the property.

“The others were really lucky too especially if it was a prank gone wrong it could have been very serious.”