Neighbours have described the distressing moment a Belconnen woman ran from her home, black with ash and calling for her dog with ACT Police confirming the house fire was now under investigation.
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ACT Fire and Rescue were alerted at 11:30am on Monday, arriving to find the building engulfed before taking an hour to stop the fire, with one neighbour rolling out his garden hose to fight the fire before emergency services arrived.
Jenny Magee was in her apartment on Monday morning when she heard screaming, she went to her balcony and saw the blaze, with black smoke snaking into the air above the roof, with a couch on the porch alight as fire leapt from the front door.
"Pretty decent fire," Ms Magee said. "I was quite distressed."
Chris Page was smoking outside when he saw the fire, he ran back to his home to tell his parents.
"I said, Mum, Dad, this house is up in flames," Mr Page said.
Terry Gavin, Chris' father, ran a garden hose to the fire before his neighbour emerged from the house, covered in soot.
"She was carrying on about her dog, Sookie," Mr Page said, adding the dog was found safe in the backyard by a postman.
The woman was taken to Canberra Hospital in a stable condition after being treated at the scene for smoke inhalation, escaping the fire which destroyed the house, causing an estimated $400,000 in damages.
She was later discharged.
Standing before the house as crews mopped up the behind him, ACT Fire and Rescue Commander Mark Phillips reminded Canberrans to make sure they had smoke alarms and said firefighters would be more than happy to help install one or change batteries for units if needed.
Three fire pumpers, breathing apparatus support and a commander vehicle attended the scene, and firefighters, along with police and ActewAGL personnel, remained at the scene as of 1.30pm.
A statement from ACT Policing said the fire was being investigated to determine if it was suspicious.
