Elderly man rushed to University Hospital Southampton with severe burns after Copnor Road takeaway fire in Portsmouth

Fire crews from Cosham, Southsea, Portchester and St Mary’s were deployed to the Wonderful Eat restaurant on Copnor Road after receiving a call at around 2.52pm this afternoon.

Fire appliances were joined at the scene by police and paramedics from the Hampshire Isle of Wight Air Ambulance which landed in College Park.

A man was rescued and was taken to University Hospital Southampton for treatment.

A firefighter who helped tackle the blaze said: ‘A man unfortunately received severe burns. We used hose reel jets to extinguish the fire and a positive pressure ventilation system to clear the building of smoke. We are currently investigating the cause of the fire.’

A statement from a Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesman added: ‘The blaze spread through the entirety of the two-storey building and was tackled with eight sets of breathing apparatus, compressed air foam solution and hose reels.

‘As a result of the fire one elderly male suffered approximately 10 per cent burns’

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Two more adults received treatment from South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) for smoke inhalation.

An SCAS spokesman said: ‘Following initial treatment at the scene, the patient with serious burns was taken to the major trauma unit at University Hospital Southampton by road with the air ambulance team travelling with the patient.

‘Two further patients were treated at the scene for minor injuries and everyone in the property was accounted for.’

Sophia Benham, 45, who was in the area at the time collecting her children from Lyndhurst Junior School, said she saw the air ambulance land.

‘As we were leaving the school I could hear the sirens from the emergency services attending the incident. I saw the air ambulance in the sky and I said “that is landing”.

‘As we drove away from the school I could see the helicopter had landed in the park and the paramedics were getting off to go to the scene,’ said Sophia.

Fire crews were in attendance for almost three hours.

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