A FIRE engulfed a weatherboard cottage house in Ardonachie St, Macarthur on Thursday evening in circumstances that police have deemed as “suspicious”, with a man in custody in relation to the incident.

The alarm was raised at 7.15pm with several CFA crews from the area attending, taking over an hour to bring the fire under control.

A local who did not wish to be named said the fire “looked like it come from the centre of the house”.