"A group of similar age then raised the alarm at a nearby Burrows Pl address and banged on the doors and windows to wake up the elderly woman who was home alone in the house that was on fire.
"Of further concern to us was the discovery of an empty wine bottle next to the spent firework indicating alcohol may have played a factor in some of the decision making around where to set the device off."
Mr Smith acknowledged the actions of those involved in raising the alarm.
"We need to speak to those involved and the matter is being treated as suspicious. We would like those involved in last night's incident to come forward and ask that anyone who has any information on the incident contacts Detective Sergeant Nick O'Brien or Senior Constable Steven Wilson of the Hamilton CIB on 07 858 6200."
Meanwhile the NZ Fire Service is asking people to use fireworks responsibly.
Waikato Fire Commander, Roy Breeze, said on average, firefighters attend 1-2 house fires every Guy Fawkes in which fireworks had caused roof fires.
"Understandably this can cause a lot of upset to the home occupants not to mention serious damage to buildings. Fireworks can also cause upset to animals which was highlighted with the death of a horse on a road after it was spooked on Saturday night at Ohaupo.
"The Fire Service urges people to use fireworks responsibly and follow the instructions on the devices and their packaging. A key safety step is to avoid using fireworks around built up areas, allow yourself plenty of room and don't mix fireworks and alcohol."