A police investigation is underway after a home caught fire twice in one night.
Emergency services responded to reports of a ground-floor blaze at a property in Larkhall, Bath, at around 7.30pm on Sunday evening (7 December).
Fire crews flooded Eldon Place as they worked to battle the flames in Eden Terrace. Eight firefighters entered the building with breathing apparatus, Avon Fire and Rescue Service said.
They used hose reels and covering jets to extinguish the fire. Fans were then used to clear the smoke and thermal imaging cameras were in use to check for hot spots.
One casualty has managed to escape the house and was treated by paramedics. Their condition is unknown at this stage.
By 10:34pm, emergency services had left the scene. A re-inspection was booked for midnight, but at 11:22pm fire crews were called to reports of another fire at the same address.
This time, the roof was on fire. The flames were tackled externally, using an aerial ladder appliance and high-pressure hose reel jets, a fire service spokesperson said.
Neighbouring properties were evacuated – but weren’t damage by fire. One neighbour told Wiltshire 999s that their home smells entirely of smoke.
Firefighters remained at the scene until around 5.46am today (Monday), as they monitored for hot spots to ensure the fire did not re-ignite.
A fire spokesperson added: “The cause of the fire is currently unknown, and a full fire investigation is yet to take place”.
This morning, police were guarding the building front and back ahead of forensic investigation work.
