Two fire engines, a turntable ladder and a duty officer were called to tackle a house fire in Douglas on Tuesday morning (October 21).

The Isle of Man Fire and Rescue Service said crews were mobilised at 11.48am following reports of a structure fire in the Head Road area of the city.

Station officer Matt Tyrer, who led the response, said firefighters acted swiftly on arrival to gain entry and extinguish the blaze.

He added: ‘On arrival, the officer in charge of the first appliance quickly deployed a breathing apparatus team to force entry into the property.

‘Once the fire was extinguished, crews ventilated the property using positive pressure ventilation fans to clear smoke.’

Firefighters remained on scene for around an hour to ensure the property was made safe and to carry out checks for any remaining hotspots.

Thankfully, the occupants were alerted to the blaze by a working smoke alarm, allowing them to leave the property safely before fire crews arrived.

The Fire and Rescue Service has once again reminded the public of the importance of installing and maintaining smoke alarms in all homes.

A spokesperson said: ‘Smoke alarms save lives. Smoke alarms that are properly installed and maintained play a vital role in reducing fire deaths and injuries.

‘If a fire breaks out in your home, smoke spreads quickly - you need smoke alarms to give you the time to get out safely.’

No injuries were reported, and an investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing.

Police were reportedly turning away traffic that were heading up towards Douglas Head and back down towards South Quay for a part of the morning, while the incident was dealt with.

Crews left the scene at around 12.45pm after completing safety checks and ventilation.