INVESTIGATIONS were underway after two people had to be rescued from their homes by firefighters tackling separate blazes in Hampshire.

In the first incident, a man had to be pulled from his sheltered housing home in Southampton late on Friday evening.

A total of 13 firefighters from St Marys and Redbridge stations went to the scene in Manston Court, Lordshill Centre, following a 999 call around 11.45pm.

On arrival, fire crews said they quickly established that someone was still inside the property and spent more than an hour tackling the blaze.

Little more than 24 hours later, there was another rescue at a house in the city when a woman was pulled from a smoke-logged house.

She had to be led to safety by firefighters who had gone to the scene of the blaze in Rosewall Road, Maybush, at 1.27am yesterday.

The alarm was again raised by a 999 call and crews from the same stations were involved in the rescue.

The woman was then taken to Southampton General Hospital by ambulance for treatment for suspected smoke inhalation.

A total of 11 firefighters were called out and they fought the flames with a hose reel - two wearing breathing apparatus. It took an hour to put out the fire.

Yesterday fire investigators were at the scene carrying out their enquiries and the windows in the upstairs of the property were wide open.

The cause of both fires are now under investigation.