At midnight on Sunday, January 17 the unoccupied house was totally destroyed by fire.

The occupants of the premises were on holidays at the time of the fire.

A neigbouring house occupant Jennifer Vuitelaar said she heard the dogs barking and then there were bangs prompting her to have a look when she discovered the neighbour’s house was on fire.

“We could hear a fair few bangs inside the house,” Ms Vuitelaar said.

“Embers were coming over to our side and it got to the point where my partner had to get out the hose to keep the fire away.

“It was so hot we couldn’t even stand on the front verandah,” she said.

Newcastle Crime Scene investigators are assisting Muswellbrook detectives in investigating the fire, as the cause remains unknown.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Muswellbrook Police Station on 6542 6999 or crime stoppers on 1800 333 000.