Port Stephens police are treating a fire which destroyed a home at Clarence Town overnight as suspicious.
Fire crews were called to the Duke Street property at 12.15am to find the unoccupied house well alight - they managed to extinguish the flames by 1.00am.
It's understood the owner, who lives on the Central Coast, used the cottage as a weekender.
Police have set up a crime scene as investigations continue.
It's believed the fire started in the kitchen.
A witness has told police they noticed the back door of the house was open when the fire started.
