Hours after an elderly couple escaped a fire in their Conadilly Street home, an Elgin Street resident contacted police when she discovered someone had attempted to light her car on fire with two Molotov Cocktails.

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Gunnedah police Sergeant Mark Benson told the NVI "the matters may be linked" because the house caught alight from a car alongside it.

The home, carport and two cars were destroyed by the fire and Sergeant Benson said there could have been a fatality if a bystander hadn't got the couple out.

"This was pretty close. What I'm concerned about is these were two very elderly people in this house [and] if they had been infirmed or bedridden ... we would have had a fatality yesterday morning," he said.

"They've lost everything. Their entire life memories were in that house. That's how quickly it got out of control.

"If anybody saw anybody walking around in the early hours of morning, either in the vicinity of Elgin and Maitland, and also Conadilly up to Harvest Lodge end, Carroll Street, please contact us or Crime Stoppers."