Gardai in Waterford City are carrying out house to house inquires following a suspicious house fire overnight.
A home in Ardmore Park in Ballybeg was completely gutted in the blaze which broke out at around 3.20am.
There was one person in the house but he escaped uninjured. His family were not home at the time.
Gardai are appealing to anyone with information to contact them on 051 305300.
Sinn Fein Councillor John Hearne told WLR News that "we're just counting our blessings this morning that nobody is dead. It's a simple as that, because the intensity of the fire you wouldn't have got everyone out in one go, especially a small child and a girl with special needs."
He added that "absolutely everything the family have, every toy, blanket, clothes, every single thing they have is destroyed, there's nothing at all left in the house.
Councillor Hearne is also appealing to anyone with information to come forward: "Absolutely any information that you have come forward. If you think about it we could be talking about four children dead, that's how serious this incident is. That's why we can't let these people keep walking around and keep attacking our communities, we need to lock them up."
