A MAN suffering from smoke inhalation was taken to hospital following a fire that has left three families homeless.

The blaze began in a property at Gazelle Close, Gosport, and spread to two neighbouring homes, damaging the first floor and the roof of one of the houses.

All three properties involved in the incident are said to have been left uninhabitable.

A total of 24 personnel from four fire stations at Cosham, Fareham, Gosport and Southsea were called out just after 3pm today.

The blaze broke out in a row of terraced properties near a replica 17th century village called Little Woodham.

A Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service spokeswoman said: "No-one was injured but a 60-year-old man was taken to hospital by South Central Ambulance Service with smoke inhalation. His condition is not life-threatening."

Crews wearing breathing apparatus used jets and an aerial ladder platform to fight the fire.

The spokeswoman said the first crew to arrive on the scene were praised for the way in which they tackled what she described as the "usual spread of fire" in the roof space.

She added: "Without their swift actions this fire could have damaged further properties."

The cause of the blaze, believed to have started in a kitchen and conservatory, is being investigated.