A Newport family have been left homeless after a fire tore through their home in Royal Exchange, Newport this afternoon (Saturday April 30).
The mother and two children are thought to have lost everything when the two-storey terraced house, dating back to 1846, was gutted.
One member of the family was taken to hospital after they jumped from a window, sustaining minor back and leg injuries.
Next-door neighbour Andrea Gander, who raised the alarm and phoned the fire service, said: “It was absolutely terrifying how fast the fire took hold. I am still in shock. I thought my house was going to go up in flames after seeing the windows blow out and flames shooting all over the place”.
The first fire crews on the scene were from Newport Fire Station. The officer in charge of the appliance said: “We turned up a few minutes after the call and the house was well alight. The family had all managed to get out.”
The house was so badly damaged it was declared unsafe for fire crews to enter until it had been stabilised.
Southern Electric and British Gas were called to the scene to disconnect supplies to the effected properties, after it was thought the gas main had been damaged.
Fire Service Incident Commander Group manager, Mick Keenan, praised his crews for their hard work and said he had never seen such a ferocious house fire. “When I first turned up I couldn’t believe it was a house fire. It looked more like a factory blaze.”
Fire crews from Newport, East Cowes, Cowes and Yarmouth attended and used four hose reels to put out the blaze. Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the property, whilst the aerial ladder attempted to fight the blaze from an upstairs room, believed to be a bedroom.
Mr Keenan said: “It is quite dangerous in there. There is a lot of damage to the property and five neighbouring properties have also been damaged.
“The fire has damaged the ground floor, first floor and the roof space. We are using thermal imaging cameras to make sure the fire hasn’t spread to further neighbouring properties.”
The Mother is said to be working closely with Isle of Wight Council in finding alternative accommodation for the family, with assistance from the British Red Cross Fire Support unit.
A Isle of Wight Council spokesman said: “We will work with local housing associations to find suitable temporary accommodation until the family are able to return to the property.”
The cause of the blaze is currently unknown.
