Cathie Grimley was asleep at her Schmidt Street home when the incident occurred in the early hours of Easter Sunday morning.

The first she knew was when police called her mobile phone asking her to come outside.

Trainee paramedic, John Payne, was returning from a job, heading back to the nearby ambulance station when he noticed smoke and flames licking at the corner of the weatherboard home.

When he was unable to rouse the occupant he found a garden hose, extinguished the fire then called police.

The house sustained minor damage to the outside.

Ms Grimley said she feels very lucky.

“Someone upstairs was definitely looking out for me,” she said.

“The fire had only just started, but it wouldn’t have taken very long at all before the whole house was engulfed in flames and in that case I don’t know that it would have been such a happy ending.

“Fate has had a hand in saving my home, and most likely my life, for sure.

“This all happened at around 4am, and how many people would have been driving past at that hour?

“At the moment, John is my favourite person.

“He showed great observation and initiative.

“I shudder to think of the consequences if he hadn’t stopped when he did.

“If he’d called triple zero instead of taking action the house would have been well alight, so his timing was perfect.”

Investigations showed the blaze had been deliberately lit and a 30 year-old man was arrested later in the morning.

He was bailed to appear in the Magistrates Court on 19 May.