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Incredible moment dog chewing on lighter sets home on fire

Incredible security footage has captured the moment a 10-month-old puppy accidentally sets his owner’s home on fire.

The footage shows 10-month-old Archie, a French Bulldog Boston Terrier, jumping on a couch and chewing on a lighter, which then bursts into flames.

Archie’s owner, Dee, said she left him alone in her Melbourne unit for a mere four minutes on October 16.

She left the apartment around 9am and checked in on him four minutes later on CCTV, where she watched the ordeal unfold.

"I think he grabbed it off the TV unit or something and it must've sparked and the couch caught fire," Dee told 3AW on Friday.

Archie accidentally set fire to his owner's couch while he was playing with a lighter. Source: 3AW.
Archie accidentally set fire to his owner's couch while he was playing with a lighter. Source: 3AW.

Dee then called firefighters, who were already alerted to the blaze, and neighbours were evacuated from the building in Victoria.

Investigators have confirmed the fire was ignited by the dog playing with the lighter.

Firefighters were able to get the fire under control in a number of minutes, however the estimated damage will cost Dee thousands of dollars.

"The insurance company told me all my contents are gone and the whole thing probably needs to be replastered and new floors and new cupboards, new aircon," Dee said.

According to 3AW, the cost will set Dee back around $60,000 and she has had to move out of the unit for a month.

Fortunately for Archie, his owner still thinks he is “cute” and she has even changed his Instagram name to “Archie the arsonist”.

Archie's owner still thinks he is "cute" and is glad he was okay after he set fire to her unit. Source: Instagram - @archie_the_arsonist.
Archie's owner still thinks he is "cute" and is glad he was okay after he set fire to her unit. Source: Instagram - @archie_the_arsonist.

Dee also said she was just glad he was “okay”.

“He could have been so much worse,” she said.

“He was really sooty, but I'm so glad he's okay.”

Any items that could start a fire should be kept out of reach from both children and pets, MFB Commander Graeme O'Sullivan said.

"Having these items in a place where they can find their way into little hands or paws is dangerous – they should be kept in a safe place like a high cupboard," he said.

-With AAP.

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