A FAMILY fled for their lives after a blaze wrecked their Fawley bungalow in the early hours of this morning.

Graham and Rosemary Dixon, with their five-year-old daughter Amy, managed to escape the fire, which broke out about 3.20am.

The couple, from Ashdown Road, and Amy, were taken to Southampton General Hospital suffering from smoke inhalation.

Among the first on the scene were next door neighbour Janet Blewett and her husband Peter, who immediately got his garden hose out and turned it towards the rampant flames.

The heat of the fire was so severe that some of the guttering on their home melted.

Mrs Blewett said: "I was woken up at about 3.20am when our little dog was barking and it was well under way by then.

"We decided to get out because the boards behind our guttering were starting to burn and I think almost everyone in the road was outside in their dressing gowns.

"It is a road where people get on fairly well together and everyone mucks in and we're all so pleased that Graham and Rosie are all right."

A neighbour who took Mrs Dixon and her daughter into her bungalow and made tea for them and for firefighters said: "I heard Graham and Rosie and there was obviously some distress.

"One of the neighbours had had a car broken into recently and we wondered at first if it was something like that. Then we realised there was a fire and I rang the fire brigade."

Mr and Mrs Dixon went together in an ambulance, while Amy was at first looked after by neighbours.

But another neighbour said: "They wanted Amy with them and another ambulance came and my wife went with her to the hospital. Now I'm waiting for a call to tell me to collect my wife and Rosie and Amy."

Mr Dixon, who runs a specialised cleaning business, was today being kept in hospital for observation.

Another neighbour, Martin Dewey, said: "They're a really nice couple and we're hoping they will all be okay."

The fire was out within 90 minutes of the call to the Fire and Rescue service. There was no early indication as to the cause.

A neighbour said: "The patio doors at the back of the house blew out and the wind just seemed to sweep the fire right through the bungalow."