Firemen rescued pet cats and dogs from a house fire started by va vengeful ex-boyfriend over a breakup with his partner.

Emergency crews rushed to the blaze when Pornsawad Sompoom, 34, allegedly torched the house in Chonburi province, Thailand, at around 11:30 pm on July 30.

They doused the walls and surrounding areas on the property to keep the flames from spreading. The inferno was extinguished in 30 minutes, the local fire department said.

Officers said the house was destroyed but there were no reports of injuries apart from the hapless pets - two cats and a dog found cowering in their cages - that suffered smoke inhalation and were found panting from lack of oxygen.

Firefighters hosed down the overheated creatures and pumped them with oxygen to help them recover. They were taken to the vets where they are now recovering.

Onlooker Decha Suriya, 38, claimed to have seen Pornsawad allegedly setting the house on fire, prompting him to call police.

Meanwhile, the homeowner's father, Boonchuay Naksri, 68, claimed that the suspect had previously threatened to harm his daughter, who lives with the family, prior to the alleged arson.

Police Captain Decha Dindaeng of the Don Hua Lo Police said cops have arrested Pornsawad and were holding him at the station.

The policeman said: 'The suspect will be charged with setting fire to the house and injuring the animals. We are interviewing him and other people involved to see if he intended to kill his ex-girlfriend.

'It's lucky that the firemen saved the pets. They were trapped inside and had no way to escape.'

Pornsawad told local media that he and his ex-girlfriend still kept in touch despite breaking up. On the day of the incident, he claimed that he planned to visit her but was afraid of entering her house when she wasn't home.

He allegedly waited in front of the residence shortly before the fire began. He also claimed to have called emergency services to report the growing inferno, with his calls going unanswered.

Pornsawad is now contesting claims that he committed arson, asking his accusers to provide evidence that he carried out the crime.