A CLEARING up operation is underway today after a blaze broke out on the first floor of a house in Capel St Mary.The fire started in the airing cupboard of the detached house in Bushey Close and spread to the landing.

A CLEARING up operation is underway today after a blaze broke out on the first floor of a house in Capel St Mary.

The fire started in the airing cupboard of the detached house in Bushey Close and spread to the landing.

The occupants alerted the emergency services after they smelt smoke coming from their property after 5.15pm yesterday (Sun).

Fortunately they escaped unharmed but extensive smoke damage was caused to the first floor of the building.

It was thought the blaze was caused by a faulty immersion heater.

Assistant Divisional Officer Paul Seager said fire fighters had to cut a hole in the roof of the property because of the extent of the smoke.

"It was quite a serious fire and we quickly managed to contain it to the first floor," he said. "The fire didn't spread to the roof but the smoke did.

"The occupants smelt smoke and got themselves out quickly and called the fire brigade which is what we recommend you should do."

Two engines from Princes Street in Ipswich and one from Hadleigh attended the blaze.

The damaged contents of the airing cupboard were in the front garden of the property this morning.

Also today firefighters from Ipswich were called to Marigold Avenue at about 12.50am after two wheelie bins were on fire.

At 7pm yesterday a Needham Market crew attended a small chimney fire at Stone Farm Cottages in Baylham.

They used a chimney rod and a 10.5 metre ladder to put the blaze out.

Earlier at 4.11pm crews from Bury St Edmunds and Elmswell attended a first floor bedroom fire in a farmhouse at Manor House Green, Beyton, near Bury St Edmunds.

The fire took 20 minutes to put out.

Rubbish caught fire next door to a house on Phoenix Road, Ipswich, just before 3pm on Saturday.

One engine from Ipswich headquarters on Colchester Road was called to tackle the blaze which took just ten minutes to put out.

Over the weekend the fire service were called to a series of undergrowth fires swept across Ipswich and Stowmarket.

Princes Street fire fighters tackled a blazes at Orwell Country Park, Sandy Hill Lane, Ipswich, just before 1pm on Sunday. They were also called to the same area at 4.30pm on Saturday where 2m of undergrowth was alight.

A Stowmarket crew tackled 100m of grassland alight off Stowupland Road, Stowmarket, at 5.20pm on Saturday.