Family of 78-year-old baffled by arson attack

The family of a 78-year-old are disgusted and baffled by an arson that gutted the woman's home in the Wellington suburb of Tawa.

The victim, who did not want to be identified, managed to escape with mild smoke inhalation and cuts to her feet after an object was thrown through her kitchen window just before midnight on Sunday.

"Why would anyone want to do this? It's just stupid, absolutely stupid," said the woman's grandson, Mark.

"Last year she had a very bad turn with respiratory problems, and we're lucky to have her and to now to have this is a huge shock."

The woman was in bed listening to the radio at the time.

"She heard an almighty crash, a bang, and she turned on her side and all she could see was a huge amount of light and smoke," Mark said.

"She was on oxygen at the time and she ran out of the house with the oxygen mask on, and managed to escape out the ranch slider."

Her desperate screams alerted neighbours, who came to her aid.

The Fire Service kept the blaze from damaging any other properties at Redwood Village, a retirement home with more than 50 residents.

"Obviously they're fearful, and don't know if it [the rest home] was a target, so now they're probably going to lose a bit of independence as a result," Mark said.

His grandmother had no idea what valuables had perished in the blaze, but she was happy to be alive.

"The fact that she can spend another month, year, 10 years with family ... photos are important, but not as important as she is."

Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Oxnam said police had not ruled out the possibility that the fire was linked to other arsons in the area.

A Sunday fire gutted a nearby Porirua school, destroying four classrooms and causing smoke and water damage to numerous other buildings.

Two teenagers have been apprehended.