Residential Fire – Portsmouth

12 fire engines, 60 firefighters and multiple support vehicles attended an fire on the 13th floor of Handsworth House in Portsmouth this morning (Thursday 29 September).On arrival crews found a significant fire which they extinguished using three jets and positive pressure ventilation. A number of residents were evacuated to a local rest centre facilitated by Portsmouth City Council.Three of our firefighters were admitted to hospital for exhaustion, but have now been released and are in high spirits and recovering well.Fire Control did an excellent job of reassuring residents, keeping them safe during the incident. We are working with partners and other local authorities including Portsmouth City Council emergency planning team.Crews worked well to bring the fire under control and managed to contain it to just the flat it started in. The stop came in at 07:13 and our community safety teams are on scene supporting local residents. A fire investigation is ongoing.