Police and firefighters launch joint probe after midnight blaze at flats in Portsmouth

Firefighters from Cosham and Southsea were scrambled to the incident inside a ground-floor flat in Duke Crescent, Buckland, at 12.05am today.

A spokesman for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service said: ‘The residents were found to be safe and the fire was quickly extinguished by firefighters wearing breathing apparatus sets and using hose reel jets and ventilation fans to clear the smoke.

‘South Central Ambulance Service paramedics were on the scene to assess the occupants and nearby residents thought to have been affected in the smoke.’

Crews returned to their stations at 12.44am following the stop message.

However, firefighters revisited the road to conduct ‘safe and well visits’ at a number of neighbouring addresses, the fire service said, adding: ‘A joint police and fire investigation is set to take place to ascertain the cause.’