A thug attempted to set fire to a family home and vehicle in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Detectives have today launched an appeal for information in a bid to trace the "despicable individual" responsible following the incident in Auchinleck.
And cops insist there could have been "disastrous consequences" had the blaze took hold.
The alarm was raised around 3am in the village's Beechwood Avenue which sits close to Auchinleck Talbot's Beechwood Park football ground.
Police say the fire did not take hold and there was minimal damage to the property.
Detective Constable Steven Grey from Kilmarnock CID said: “This was a deliberate attempt to set fire to a home, where there was a family asleep within, and there could have been disastrous consequences had it properly taken hold.
“It is vital the despicable individual responsible is caught and I would appeal to anyone with information to come forward.
“If you were in the area in the early hours of Tuesday morning, and saw anything at all suspicious, please get in touch.
“I would also urge any drivers with dash-cams who were on the road at the time to check their footage in case they have captured anything which could be of significance.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland through 101, quoting incident number 0342 of Tuesday, 15 June, 2021. Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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