Arson suspected in Fayetteville fire

The fire started Wednesday evening in the carport at the house, at 1005 Juniper Drive. The blaze destroyed a teenage daughter's 1999 Mercury Cougar, which was her high school graduation gift.

"We've lived in this home for 14 years and never had any problems,” Donna Brigman said.

Firefighters say someone set the car on fire, squirting an accelerate around it. Another car parked in the yard was spray painted.

Two weeks before the fire, "all four of our daughter's tires were slashed,” Brigman said.

The fire in the carport was raging just feet away from where Brigman was sleeping. She woke up at about 4:45 a.m. and said she saw an orange glow.

"Luckily, I did wake up,” she said.

Brigman was home alone and called 911. Then, she grabbed a garden hose to wet down her house.

"My neighbor next door grabbed her hose and started to spray the top of my house to keep my house from going up," she said.

Still, the fire leaped through the rafters and melted away vinyl siding. In her front yard lay a pile of scorched belongings: clothes, Christmas ornaments and a bed.

"This is my personal opinion. This could have been premeditated murder,” Brigman said.

Brigman said she doesn't know who would set her family's belongings on fire.

"Whoever did this needs to be punished,” she said.

The Brigmans say their insurance company is paying for hotel expenses while their house is repaired.