Published Friday, 03 February 2012
The 58-year-old was arrested on Friday afternoon in connection with the blaze which broke out in the living room of a couple's Sandyknowes Park home at 2am.
They were awake at the time made it out of their home uninjured, but the woman, who is 61, went back in to rescue her dog.
She was overcome by fumes and found unconscious by the fire crew in an upstairs bedroom. They brought her out of the house and gave her oxygen which brought her round.
Shortly afterwards, the man, 58, who had escaped the fire and was standing outside, also collapsed.
Members of the NI Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) gave the man CPR, and both were taken to hospital for treatment.
We would always advocate that you never ever go back into a burning house. Our motto is: get out, stay out, get the Fire Service out.
Mark Beresford, NIFRS
Assistant Group Commander Mark Beresford said: "It was a very big risk to go back into the house because it doesn't take very long, a few seconds breathing the toxic smoke, to be overcome and within minutes you can be dead. Fortunately the crew were there very quickly."
The fire crew found the dog in another upstairs bedroom and took him outside. Mr Beresford said the dog "seemed to be fine".
The couple's injuries are also not thought to be life-threatening, but he said the woman had a lucky escape.
"It was a very rapid and severe fire in one of the rooms in the house and it was very badly damaged. There was severe smoke damage to every other room," said Mr Beresford.
Police and the fire service are investigating the cause of the fire, which is not yet clear.