The family home was targeted by a petrol bomb in the early hours
The window was put through before the house was set alight(Image: Jason Roberts /Manchester Evening News)
A mum whose house was targeted and set ablaze in a horrific petrol bomb incident in Bury has spoken out, saying the attacker ‘tried to kill me and my kids’.
Emergency services, including police, paramedics and fire crews, raced to the scene of the arson attack at a home off Kendal Drive in the Redvales area in the early hours of Sunday morning (January 18). It’s thought the family home was targeted shortly before 2am.
The house remained taped off and throughout Sunday, with forensics in white suits also at the scene conducting investigations into the incident, which is believed to have been targeted.
Homeowner Claire, whose two children were not at the property at the time, said her husband suddenly woke up after hearing a ‘loud noise’ it the early hours. Moments later he said: “The house is on fire.”
Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, mum Claire said: “We were in bed at around quarter to two and that’s when my husband woke up to a loud noise. He jumped out of bed, I was asleep and confused at the time, and then I heard something myself.
The house was cordoned off (Image: )
“He ran out of the room and said ‘the house is on fire’. We jumped out of bed and got the dog out of the kitchen and ran straight outside. The dining room was on fire, which is where it had started.
“As we went round to the side window it was clearly smashed and a petrol can was on the floor where the window was. At first I thought it was my fault and I’d left the curlers on, but then we knew it was deliberate.
“Everyone started coming out on the street and the whole house was smoking. Our neighbour’s said their Ring doorbell had caught two people running away from the house. We knew then that someone had done it to us.
“The fire brigade were there for hours. We stayed for around three hours outside and then detectives turned up and told us they believed it was targeted. It started in the dining room and has melted parts of the kitchen. It hasn’t spread through the house but everywhere is smoke damaged, it’s black throughout.
“We have been told to prepare ourselves that nothing is salvageable.”
A scene remained in place at the property throughout Sunday. Local councillor Tamoor Tariq described the attack as ‘targeted’ in a social media statement, adding it was ‘appalling and extremely dangerous’.
It’s reported that a culprit was also caught having ‘set himself on fire’ during the incident by nearby camera footage. Greater Manchester Police have not yet issued a statement on the incident.
Claire added: “My children were out of the house thank god. But it’s just absolutely devastating. The fact we have lost everything. We are a hard working family.
“The thing that is the most upsetting is my kids have lost everything and we can’t replace it all. To think someone has done this, I believe they tried to kill me and my kids.
“If someone hadn’t have been there with me we could’ve died. We are lucky to have gotten out but its scary to thing someone would do something so extreme. It’s concerning and confusing. We have to start again but right now just want to be safe with our family.”
Greater Manchester Police and the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service have been contacted for a comment.