Man suffers burns after blaze engulfs house (From Daily Echo)

Man suffers burns after blaze engulfs house

9:47am Sunday 10th February 2013 in News

A turntable ladder tackles the blaze. Picture by Anna Stepien-Grzes Photography

A MAN was taken to hospital after a fire erupted at a derelict house in Southampton late last night.

Dozens of fire fighters were called to the property in Shirley when a blaze ignited in an empty house in Anglesea Road forcing one in a nearby flat to be evacuated.

Upon arrival crews found one man outside the property suffering from burns and smoke inhalation injuries. He had been inside the large two-storey house when the fire began at about 11.50pm.

He was given first aid by fire fighters at the scene before the ambulance arrived to take him to Odstock Hospital in Salisbury for further treatment.

It is not known if his injuries are life-threatening.

Crews from St Mary’s, Hightown, Redbridge, Eastleigh and Winchester fire stations battled the blaze for 40 minutes before they were able to get control of it using an aerial platform.

Watch manager Stu Vince from St Mary’s fire station was at the scene.

“Ours was the third pump to arrive at the scene. The fire had just broken through the first floor and roof when we arrived. It was well alight.

“Once we’d assessed that there was no one else inside we went to a defensive approach and used the aerial ladder to put out the fire,” he said.

Crews were at the scene until 3.30am.