A FAMILY had a lucky escape after an "intense" fire swept through their Skidby home.
The blaze destroyed an upstairs bedroom as well as a conservatory, leaving a hole in the roof.
Firefighters could see the smoke rising from the house before they even reached the village.
The fire took hold at about 7pm on Saturday at the
property in Riplingham Road.
The owners, a couple in their 70s, and their son, his wife and their two children, escaped unhurt.
A family friend told the Mail it was fortunate the elderly couple's son was visiting at the time.
He said: "I have been asked to come round and assess the damage.
"My friend's wife had only recently come out of hospital and she was already on oxygen.
"She wouldn't have been able to handle much smoke.
"I dread to think what would have happened if she had been upstairs at the time.
"Luckily, their son was visiting with his family and was able to help the couple out."
Humberside Fire and Rescue Service station manager Gary Chew is investigating the cause of the fire, which remains a mystery.
He said: "It looks like it began in a bedroom upstairs. There was a lot of smoke and flames.
"The firefighters saw it before they even reached Skidby.
"The flames were quite high and it was rather a dramatic sight."
The blaze has left the house severely damaged and the
conservatory is little more than a shell.
Mr Chew said: "The fire spread, melting the plastic roof of the conservatory.
"The molten plastic then dropped on to the furniture inside and destroyed everything.
"The rest of the house has suffered heavily from smoke damage."
Three fire engines and about 15 firefighters attended the fire. While it only took about 15 minutes to put out, Mr Chew says it was a ferocious fire.
He said: "The fire was very intense, particularly in the upstairs room where it even burnt a hole in the roof.
"We had to make sure there were no flames elsewhere, using thermal cameras, as it had spread to the roof."
An investigation into the cause of the blaze is being
carried out.
Mr Chew said: "I was here until midnight on Saturday and all day on yesterday.
"I expect our investigation will be completed by tomorrow.
"At this stage, it is difficult to know what caused the fire."
The family were checked by paramedics following the fire but no one needed treatment.
The couple are staying with family and it could be some time before the home is habitable.
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