A MAN was hospitalised after a blaze in his Winchester flat yesterday evening.

Fire fighters were called to Dennett Court, Winnall Manor Road, at 10pm to tackle a blaze in the lounge of a ground floor flat. It is thought the fire was caused by furniture being place too close to a wall-mounted convector heater.

The flat’s occupant, a man in his 60s, raised the alarm but had suffered substantial smoke inhalation and was taken to Royal Hampshire County Hospital, Winchester. He was released in the early hours of this morning.

Fire crews – who used two breathing apparatus, one hose reel and one jet in the incident – said the lounge had suffered substantial fire and smoke damage.

Winchester fire station sent a special equipment unit and water ladder to the incident, while a further water ladder and an aerial ladder platform were summoned from Eastleigh and Redbridge fire stations.