South Australian police are searching for a man believed to be responsible for two arson attacks in Adelaide’s north east this morning.

New images show the suspect holding a bottle of liquid in his hands as he walks between two vehicles in Oakden about 4am today.

About 5am emergency services were called to a Hampton Drive residence, finding the property and adjoining carport well-alight.

The homeowners- an elderly couple- were not at home at the time of the blaze, which was so intense the roof collapsed.

“Lucky my parents weren’t at home… if they were, there could’ve been two dead bodies,” the couple’s son, Gehan, said.

The couple is currently in respite care, while the elderly man recovers from open heart surgery.

Police believe the fire is linked to another attack on a car on nearby Northbourne Court, just half an hour earlier.

Its owner, managed to stop the flames from spreading to his home.

“I smelled the smoke so I get up and try to investigate… I had to grab the hose and try to fight as much as possible,” owner Long Tran told 9NEWS.

Investigations are now underway into whether both attacks were random.