WITNESSES told police they saw a car speed away from a home west of Cessnock last night before the house was destroyed by fire.
The Rural Fire Service was called to the Wollombi Road, Sweetmans Creek, property at 6.30pm yesterday.
No one was home at the time.
The house was destroyed, but firefighters extinguished the blaze before it spread to nearby sheds.
Witnesses later told police they saw a car drive to the home about an hour before the fire was reported.
The car sped away about 20 minutes after it arrived.
Investigations are continuing.
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