Portsmouth house fire prompts multiple 999 calls

More than 20 firefighters were called to tackle a blaze involving the first floor and roof of a house in Portsmouth.

Fire engines from Cosham, Havant and Portchester were on scene, along with Southsea’s aerial ladder and a command support vehicle from Eastleigh.

The fire, in Sea View Road in the Drayton area of the city, sent up a large plume of smoke, prompting multiple 999 calls just after 14:40.

Crews wore breathing apparatus and used jets to surround the fire and dampen down.

No-one was at home at the time of the incident and firefighters carried out salvage work to save personal items from the property.

The stop message was received shortly after 18:00. Fire investigators will visit to try and establish the cause.

Update: A reinspection of the property was carried out on Saturday morning and a thermal imaging camera was used to check for hotspots, with none found. An electrical fault is believed to have caused the fire.