A BLAZE that threatened to rip through a Hampshire home started when glue fumes were ignited by an open fire.

Investigators say a member of the family was mending a Buddha statue with expanding foam glue when the vapours caught alight.

Ian and Sue Harris, and their children Wayne and Kirsty, managed to flee the burning building in Churchill Close, Titchfield Common, along with Kirsty’s two young children who were sleeping upstairs, as flames took hold of the ground floor at 11.20pm on Tuesday. Neighbour Sarah Jones dialled 999 as husband Mark ran across the road to help put out the blaze.

Mark, 45, told of the dramatic moment that Ian began filling buckets of water in the back garden, while he and Wayne ran into the burning home in a bid to extinguish the flames.

Father-of-three Mark said: “It was just instinct. If the flames had carried on they would have reached the top half of the house and they would have lost the lot. Wayne did a brilliant job and I’m sure his dad is very proud of him.

I’m just glad everyone got out okay.”