'Very lucky' family escape from 'severe' Fratton blaze as firefighters tackle 'thick' smoke and save dogs

Firefighters were deployed to tackle the blaze in Winchester Road, Fratton, last night. Watch Manager Simon Morford, of Southsea Fire Station, said ‘thick black smoke’ could been seen from the building.

He told The News: ‘Prior to our arrival, two adults and two children escaped via a first floor window. We arrived just as that happened and tackled the fire, which had spread from the rear of the property to a neighbouring house.

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‘It was a severe fire. Thick black smoke was coming from the front of the property. The fire was contained mostly to the rear.’ Fire crews were called at roughly 10.30pm.

Watch Manager Morford said three teams of two Southsea firefighters tackled the blaze. Crews from Cosham and Havant fire stations were also in attendance.

Firefighters used hose reels, tactical ventilation and a jet to quench the inferno and clear the smoke. The occupiers were treated by South Central Ambulance Service (Scas) paramedics, Watch Manager Morford added.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary were also present. Mr Morford said firefighters saved two dogs from the burning building.

He added: ‘The crews who were inside fighting the fire brought out two dogs who were in the property. They then received care from us. We used special masks which sit on the snouts of the dogs to give them oxygen.’

The cause of the blaze remains unknown. Mr Morford said 75 per cent of the property sustained smoke damage – with flames burning other parts of the building.

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He added that crews were ‘shocked’ to find there were no smoke detectors in the property. Mr Morford said: ‘That family and the two children – a two-year-old and a five-year-old – are very very lucky to be here today.

‘If anybody wants smoke detectors, we’re available to come out and put them up. That job could have gone the other way.

‘The man was asleep, woke up to go to the toilet, felt a funny taste in his mouth, and found that the place was on fire. If another half an hour or an hour had gone by, then we would have been going to a different type of incident.’

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service (HIWFRS) carry out safe and wellness checks on properties. They can also provide smoke detectors. More information can be found on the HIWFRS website.