Kipper might have been an 8in (20cm) slippery customer, but was an unlikely suspect as a potential arsonist. Nonetheless Sharron Killahena, the fish’s owner, is sure that he was the culprit.

Dripping water led to a short circuit that caused a power surge. That, in turn, melted the lid of the fish tank. Burning plastic dripped on to a sofa that caught fire, setting off a smoke alarm.

The alarm woke Miss Killahena, 25, her two children Nicole, 6, and Kerry, 2, and their landlord, Simon Justice, giving them all time to escape. All four were treated in hospital for smoke inhalation.

Afterwards Miss Killahenna said that Kipper was a notoriously belligerent fish and often fought with other occupants of her 5ft aquarium.

She suspects that the fish’s antics caused water to splash on to a power socket, starting the chain of events that led to the fire.

Miss Killahena, from Poole, Dorset, said: “We have big fish in the tank — oscars, which are up to 10in long. One of the oscars and the catfish tend playfully to fight each other.

“In the past when they have done this they have moved rocks in the tank because of the waves they create. Water has managed to get through the lid and on to the floor.

“Sadly it looks like that has happened here. But the water got on to the plugs below, caused the light to malfunction and started the fire.

“Absolutely everything is ruined and the sitting room is gutted. The rest of the house is completely blackened by the smoke. You work so hard to get things perfect and then something like this happens.”

The fish were not as fortunate as the human beings. Heat from the blaze caused the tank to shatter and Kipper, four oscars and one suckerfish came flooding out. Although the water quenched some of the flames, the fish did not survive. Miss Killahenna added: “It’s a shame to lose them because they were really beautiful.”

In the wild, catfish are scavengers, feeding best in warm weather at night — which could explain Kipper’s frisky behaviour.

The family are now staying with her mother Linda, 51, who lives near by.

A spokesman for Dorset Fire and Rescue Service confimed that its investigations were centred on the fish tank. He said: “The cause of the blaze is currently under investigation.

“The suspected cause is a malfunction of the fish tank lighting unit, but the investigation may reveal whether or not the fish had anything to do with it.”

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