Investigation launched after family rescued from fire in house in Gosport

Firefighters helped the children down from a first floor window after the fire took hold of their terraced home, while the mother was taken through the front door.

All three and a firefighter were taken to Queen Alexandra Hospital where they were treated for smoke inhalation.

The family from The Crossways, Gosport, had been woken by their fire alarm after 4am this morning.

On arrival, firefighters from Gosport and Fareham used ladders to rescue the two children as a breathing appartus team rushed into the building to rescue the woman.

They called the emergency services and at least 16 firefighters arrived from Gosport and Fareham stations.

A spokesman from Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “The family were given fire survival tactics by the control operator on the phone.

“They would have given them advice like getting into one room, opening the window and blocking the door to stop smoke getting in.”

The fire was put out by 6.30am. Its cause is currently unknown.

Assistant chief officer Andy Bowers said: "There is no doubt that the combination fo working smoke alarms, the survival advice from our control operators and the swift action of the firefighters on scene saved the lives of these three individuals.

"This incident shows the importance of working smoke alarms. They give you the vital time to get to a safe place, should you not be able to exit your home, and alert the fire service."

The woman and children were taken to hospital suffering smoke inhalation and are making a good recovery.

An investigation by Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service and the police is still underway.