A MAN was recovering in hospital today after a fierce fire forced a family of seven to flee their home.Fire crews were called to a house in Coronation Drive, Felixstowe, after a blaze broke out in a first-floor bedroom.

A MAN was recovering in hospital today after a fierce fire forced a family of seven to flee their home.

Fire crews were called to a house in Coronation Drive, Felixstowe, after a blaze broke out in a first-floor bedroom.

As the drama unfolded, a man living at the house had to be taken to Ipswich Hospital suffering from the effects of smoke inhalation.

Firefighters used a thermal imaging camera to find everyone inside the property and check the spread of the flames in the house.

A man and a woman and their five children, including a baby, lived at the property.

Last night the woman and children were staying with friends. The family dog was being looked after by a neighbour.

When two fire crews arrived at the property at 4.45pm yesterday they found a bedroom on fire.

It is understood there was severe damage to the room, and also to the kitchen, which was flooded.

Major repair work will be needed and there was also smoke damage throughout the building.

Investigations are taking place into the cause of the fire.

The house is one of a small number of new properties built on the site of old garages at the end of Coronation Drive, backing onto the Railway Hill allotments and next to the Felixstowe port south freight line.