Pictures: Fire crews tackle blaze at Telford house

Police and fire crews from Telford and Wellington were called to the fire at a two-storey house in Highlander Drive, Donnington, at about 11pm yesterday, although police say they are not treating the fire as suspicious.

The front and back doors of the property were boarded up after firefighters put out the flames and the charred remains of a door could be seen on the ground outside the house today.

An investigation has now been launched to find out how it started.

During the ordeal, neighbours described how they sprung into action to try and help after realising a blaze had taken hold.

Neighbour Richard Waithaka said he tried to help and went out with a bucket of water after seeing flames coming out of the letterbox.

The 38-year-old, whose partner called 999, said: "A woman lives there and we didn't know if she was inside. I ran at the front door and rammed it down. I tried to get to the living room but there were flames everywhere.

"You could just feel the heat and the smoke. The fire service came pretty quickly.

"It could have been a heck of a lot worse.

"If that had gone up, these houses are attached to each other. I'm relieved that nobody was in the house at the time. I've no idea if the woman who lives there has been back yet or knows what happened."

Gill Putman, who lives next door, said she had been asleep at the time but awoke to sounds of banging and someone ringing her doorbell.

The 44-year-old said: "When I came out you could see the flames coming out the front door. It was horrible.

"Someone used a hammer to smash the door at the back.

"Two fire engines turned up and I had to leave my house and wasn't allowed back in for a while."

She said she took refuge at a neighbour's house until she could go back into her property in the early hours of this morning.