A 49-year-old woman is facing charges of arson and attempted murder after she was arrested in Birchleigh, Kempton Park in connection with a house fire during the early hours of Saturday morning.

According to Sergeant Barbara-Anne Ferreira, spokesperson for Norkem Park SAPS, the woman set her house on fire with the alleged intent to kill her husband. The incident is alleged to have occurred just after mid-night.

“The police were called out to an arson scene and upon arrival found a house, on Essenwood Avenue, in flames,” said Ferreira.

“A woman allegedly said that she had set the house on fire and hoped her husband would burn to death.

Reservist Constable Jagger and Community Policing Forum patroller, Terrence de Klerk, broke open a window and got inside the burning house, found the husband lying unconscious on the floor and dragged him out to safety,” Ferreira said.

She said that all the doors of the house were locked and petrol was also found on the scene.

“The suspect also locked two dogs inside the house. The dogs did not survive the fire,” said Ferreira.

“The 47-year-old victim was treated on scene as he sustained serious burn wounds and suffered from smoke inhalation. He was transported to hospital in a critical condition for further medical care.”

Ferreira added that the Kempton Park Fire Department members were also on scene to extinguish the blaze.