Located at the very end of Sloane St in Deniliquin’s west, Mr Rich said he heard people on the property just moments before a fire was started in a paddock.
He said this is not only unusual because of the location of the paddock, but also the time of night.
The fire was spotted about 8.46pm on Easter Sunday.
“I heard people going across the paddock, and I could still hear people as I got in my vehicle to go over to where the fire was,” Mr Rich said.
"A fire could not have just started by itself in this conditions, and there was no reason for a fire to have been lit on my property.
“There was also a shoe left behind.
“It looks as though a fire started in the dry channel, but also looks as if one had been started in another spot where there was a bit more grass to burn.
“And there was not much moonlight, so it was all very dark.”
Mr Rich said he had horses in the paddock which may have been injured if the fire got away, and said it may have also spread to nearby buildings if the conditions allowed.
Luckily, the fire was spotted and brought under control quickly.
Mid Murray Rural Fire Service Inspector Doug Adamson said one crew of firefighters from the Deniliquin RFS brigade responded, and had the fire out within half an hour.
By that time it had “burned a couple of acres”.
Deniliquin Police are investigating the blaze, and Mr Rich said it’s a timely reminder for people to “be more alert”.
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