Residents describe "devastating" fire at Weymouth home

A "devastating" fire broke out at a home in Weymouth.

Fire crews from Weymouth and Dorchester were called to The Doves in Littlemoor at 3.17pm today - Tuesday - to tackle a fire which broke out in the kitchen of a first floor flat.

Pictures from the scene show smoke billowing out of a window with flames visible.

Luckily, the person who lives in the property and others from neighbouring properties had escaped safely before firefighters arrived, Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said.

The cause of the fire was cooking that had been left unattended, the brigade added.

Three fire engines were in attendance, two from Weymouth and one from Dorchester (Image: Cristiano Magaglio)

A cordon was put in place around the street to keep people back and to allow firefighters to work at the scene safely.

Four firefighters wore breathing apparatus and used two hose reel jets to extinguish the fire.

David George, a nearby resident, noticed smoke outside and rushed over to find out where it was coming from.

He said: "I saw the smoke from my house and went to check what was happening and if anyone was okay because I know a few elderly people live around that area."

Nearby resident David took this photo of the fire as it happened (Image: David George)

Another resident said: "The building is devastated. I can't see it being habitable for a while. The amount of water they put into it the one below is also going to be in a state.

"It's a block of four flats. The one on the top right is burnt out."

Fire engines on scene following the incident (Image: Cristiano Magaglio)

Residents have expressed their concern following the incident.

One resident added: "It is not nice at all. With this many engines it must have been quite bad. I could smell the smoke as I got out my car."

The incident happened at The Doves in Littlemoor (Image: Cristiano Magaglio)

Another person saw the aftermath after getting back from the school run and said: "I hope everyone is ok."

The fire service incident commander at the scene said: "We arrived and there was a fire in the kitchen caused by unattended cooking.

"The occupier and everyone else in the building was alerted by the fire alarms, and they evacuated correctly.

The aftermath of the fire (Image: Cristiano Magaglio)

"Crews from Weymouth and Dorchester attended. The fire was extinguished using four breathing apparatus wearers and two hose reel jets.

"The kitchen is severely damaged by the fire."

A spokesperson for Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue said: "We were called to The Doves in Weymouth at 3.17pm today, July 2, for a fire in the kitchen of a first floor flat.

"We have three crews in attendance, two from Weymouth and one from Dorchester, and four breathing apparatus wearers have used two hose reel jets to extinguish the fire.

"The occupant was out safely when we arrived."