By James Johnson

Last updated at 12:34, Tuesday, 14 August 2012

A man and his four children were taken to hospital after fleeing a fire at their home.

The house in Finn Avenue, Carlisle

Fire services were called to the house on Finn Avenue near Wigton Road in Carlisle at around 9.50pm yesterday.

The five were taken to hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.

Neighbour Margaret Boothman said today: “It was a serious fire although it could have been a lot worse.

“They have just got themselves established and I’m hoping that they will be able to get back in.

“They’ve been in two or three months and they’ve worked hard to get that house.

“I think they have gone to stay with family. It’s just a case of sorting out the aftermath now.”

The outside of the house was boarded up and the upstairs windows were blackened with smoke damage.

A burnt bike was left outside the house, which was unoccupied this morning.

A Cumbria police spokeswoman confirmed that a 31-year-old man and four children had been taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation.

The spokeswoman said: “The man told his eldest child to get out of the house and he helped the three younger children himself.

“An investigation is continuing into the cause of the fire but there don’t appear to be any suspicious circumstances.”

A Cumbria Fire and Rescue spokesman said: “An investigation into the cause of the fire will begin today.”

First published at 11:28, Tuesday, 14 August 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk