A fire broke out in a house being renovated in a Huntingdonshire village last night (Wednesday).

Firefighters from Huntingdon were sent to Church Road, Brampton, just before 9.45pm after neighbours spotted smoke coming from the building.

The fire was extinguished by 12.10am and left the ground floor badly damaged and the rest of the home suffered smoke damage.

Station commander Wayne Swales said: “It is thanks to the vigilance of those in the property next door that saved this building. They saw smoke issuing and immediately called the fire service which enabled us to respond quickly and manage the incident, which had already been burning for some time within the property.

“Undoubtedly these quick-thinking actions contributed to reducing the amount of damage.”

Mr Swales added: “The two crews did a fantastic job in tackling and containing a fire, which could have very easily developed and destroyed the whole property.

“The fire had been burning for a while and burned through the floor into the basement, making access difficult for the crews. However, they did extremely well in preventing it spreading any further, which could have resulted in the evacuation of a neighbouring property.

“It is believed the fire started when heat from a generator affected a wheelbarrow tyre located next to a wooden skirt board. This caught fire, and owing to wooden floors, doors and beams in the property, it spread quickly.”