A MAN whose home went up in flames believes he was the victim of a targeted arson attack.

The victim, who lives with a friend, has spoken out after an investigation by the fire service found the blaze to be “undetermined”.

The fire took hold at a four-bed home in St Vincent’s Road, in Westcliff, on Saturday night.

The man, who asked not to be a named, said: “A house doesn’t just go up in flames on its own, there is no gas in the house – these are all non-gas houses.

“It’s burnt through from the outside.

“I was also away and so was my house-mate when it happened – it wasn’t great to come home to.

“It’s unlivable but [we are] lucky we all have other places we can go.”

The fire damage to the property is visible from the outside by the front door, as well as exposed electrical wiring.

A next-door neighbour, who also did not want to be named, raised the alarm after spotting the flames from his home.

He said: “I was going to bed and as I walked past my door I could see loads of orange and yellow, so I opened the door.

“There was a load of rubbish bags that had been stacked up and somebody’s obviously set them all alight.”

The victim added: “[The house] stinks of charcoal, the kitchen has completely melted. It will take months of work to sort out, the whole house needs rebuilding.

“You’ve got the smoke damage on the inside, every single carpet, every single curtain would need replacing. It’s burnt through the electrics, there’s water damage and a lot of the ceiling is down.”

The man’s neighbour also later realised his doorbell and guttering had melted as a result of the heat generated by the fire.

Janet Randall, 44, who also lives in St Vincent’s Road, said: “I could smell the smoke it was so strong.

“At first I thought it was a barbecue but then I realised it couldn’t have been because of how bad it smelt.

“Then when I looked out of my window I could see thick black smoke coming from down the road.

“I went down to have a look and within minutes three fire engines turned up.

“They were there a long while.

“I feel sorry for the people living there who are now homeless.”

A spokesman for Essex Fire Service said: “Firefighters were called to reports of a house fire last night. On arrival crews advised that the property, which is a two-storey four bedroom home, was well alight.

“Crews worked hard to extinguish the fire by 0.06am and used a positive pressure ventilation fan to clear the large amount of smoke that had accumulated within the building.

“Much of the property has been badly damaged and unfortunately, the occupants have been rendered homeless.”

The other man he shares the home with, is currently abroad.

“Following an investigation, the cause of the fire has been recorded as undetermined.”

The fire service recorded the cause as “undetermined” however, the tenant thinks otherwise.