A WOMAN had a ‘very lucky escape’ from a house fire in Weymouth.

Firefighters were called to a blaze in Lichfield Road in Lanehouse on Friday afternoon after reports of smoke coming from a property.

Dorset Fire and Rescue Service said this evening the fire was accidental caused by 'smoking materials'.

The fire is believed to have started in the ground floor of the property which was said to be fully alight when fire crews arrived on the scene.

South Western Ambulance were called to the scene at 2.55pm and two ambulances attended.

The front of the house was left blackened following the fire with the inside also appearing to be severely damaged.

The front room was destroyed by fire and there was heat and smoke damage throughout the house.

Weymouth watch manager, Spencer Nicklin, praised the efforts of the teams to handle the blaze.

He said: “There’s been a fire and crews have worked very hard to extinguish it.

“Nobody has been injured in this incident.”

Two fire crews from Weymouth attended the blaze as well as one from Portland.

The female occupant is believed to have been on the ground floor when the fire started and was already outside the premises by the time fire teams arrived.

Station manager with Dorset Fire and Rescue Service, Seth Why, said at the scene: “We’re still trying to establish a cause. Fire investigation teams are still to come. One lady occupant had escaped before we attended.”

Mr Why said that the woman was fortunate to get out of the building safely.

He said: “She has been very lucky. She has made a very lucky escape.”

The woman, believed to be middle aged, was treated by South Western Ambulance Service for minor smoke inhalation at the scene but was not taken to hospital.

The fire engines caught the attention of nearby neighbours with concerned groups gathering in the roads around the house to see what was happening and to check on the woman's welfare.

One eyewitness described what they saw at the start of the incident.

He said: “We saw it from the main road, there was a lot of smoke.

“Smoke was coming out and it was all in the air, the air smells a lot better now.”

Dorset Police also attended the scene where they assisted fire safety officers by helping to keep people away from the property whilst the incident was ongoing.

People were kept away from their homes for a time whilst firefighters made sure that the scene was safe.

Fire teams began to leave the scene shortly before 4pm with the fire extinguished.