A NEIGHBOUR of a house which has been damaged by a fire said it “spread within minutes” after he was alerted to the blaze by someone knocking on his door.

Mike Western, whose garden backs onto the house in Fox’s Furlong, Chineham, which caught fire at around 8.30pm on Sunday, July 28 said he was at home alone when he became aware that something was wrong.

The 44-year-old father-of-two told the Gazette: “A neighbour came and smashed on the door. My kids are away but she thought they might be in the garden.

READ MORE: House roof and first floor destroyed by blaze in Basingstoke after shed caught fire

The house in Fox's Furlong, Chineham, which caught fire (Image: Newsquest) "I was in the living room and didn’t notice anything but my neighbour saw the flames and dogs were barking. It was surprising how quickly it went up, within 10 minutes.”

Mr Western, a police officer, has debris from the fire in his garden, which has burned his fence and shed, and said firefighters used his garden to tackle the blaze.

The roof of his neighbour’s house and the first floor have been destroyed in the fire, which is thought to have started accidentally in a shed of a nearby property before spreading.

The house has been cordoned off, as debris including roof tiles lay strewn across the garden.

Firefighters from Basingstoke, Odiham and Tadley tackled the blaze for more than two hours, returning on Monday, July 29 to inspect the property and check for any remaining hotspots.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service (HIWFRS) said no one was injured in the fire.

Mr Western said residents are still waiting to find out how the fire started, and added: “The main thing is no one was hurt and everyone is okay.”