Arson 'could have led to murders'

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An arson attack on a house in Enniskillen could have resulted in a double murder, police have said.

Two women were trapped in an upstairs bedroom after flammable material was put through the letterbox of the house on Derrin Road and set alight.

The fire destroyed the plastic front door, filling the house with thick black smoke.

The women, aged 17 and 22, were brought to safety by firefighters and taken to the Erne Hospital.

They were treated there for the effects of breathing in smoke.

The incident happened at about 0320 GMT on Monday. Children who had been staying in the house recently, were not there on Sunday night.

Police said the women, who were alerted by a smoke alarm, had a lucky escape.

The fire service said the women were given advice over the phone by its control room on how to block the smoke from coming into the room in which they were trapped.

"The fire in the hallway was quite bad and there was a lot of acrid smoke all through the house," station commander Robbie Bryson said.

"Had it not been for the smoke alarm and the advice they were given, it could have been a lot worse."