Police are investigating after a tent was set alight next to a popular cycling route.
One fire engine attended the grassy area off Station Road, Kingswood, at 7.51pm on April 10 and used a hose reel to extinguish the tent fire, which is believed to be deliberate.
The charred remains of the tent next to the Bristol to Bath Cycle Path show it contained toiletries, cooking equipment, clothes and other bare essentials.
Witness Elisa Williams said: "I happened to be running on the cycle path at the time and spotted the flames.
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"I went up and realised it was the opening of the tent on fire so called the brigade who arrived quickly.
"Thankfully nobody was in the tent at the time although it did look like belongings were in there. It didn't take long for the fire to destroy it all.
"A couple of canisters of something exploded during the fire but it didn't spread too far."
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'The tent probably had everything they owned in it'
Mrs Williams added locals told her a young couple who appeared to be homeless had pitched the tent.
She said the incident was "horrible", adding: "The fire service commented too much of it happens and, unfortunately, the tent probably had everything they owned in it."
Avon and Somerset Constabulary confirmed the matter is being treated as criminal damage.
A force spokesperson said: "We were made aware of a tent that had been set alight on an embankment in Station Road, Kingswood at about 10.30pm."
In July 2017, arsonists burned down a bus shelter in Kingswood where a homeless woman had been sleeping.
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