A MID-terrace house was gutted in the early hours of Saturday, in a blaze which the fire service believes started accidentally. More than 20 firefighters from across Fenland dealt with the fire in Norwich Road, Wisbech. The house was left severely damaged

A MID-terrace house was gutted in the early hours of Saturday, in a blaze which the fire service believes started accidentally.

More than 20 firefighters from across Fenland dealt with the fire in Norwich Road, Wisbech.

The house was left severely damaged by the fire; the roof caved in and partition walls and the chimney were leaning dangerously on adjoining homes. However, nobody was in the house when firefighters arrived.

Nick Foster, group manager for Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: "When crews arrived on the scene, flames could already be seen coming from the roof of the house. Not long after, the roof collapsed, making the structure of the building very unsound.

"Crews tackled the fire from the outside, at height, using a turntable ladder. This way we were able to target the water onto the top of the building to prevent it from spreading to the adjoining houses.

"This was an extensive fire and crews did an excellent job in stopping the fire from spreading."

A neighbour called 999 at about 1am after spotting some flames coming from the window of the building.

Firefighters from Wisbech, West Walton, Outwell and Dogsthorpe in Peterborough extinguished the fire by 4am. They used breathing apparatus, three jets and a hose reel to create a water tower.

The fire service has been unable to go into the house to complete a fire investigation because it is structurally unsound. However, it is believed that the fire was accidental.