FIREFIGHTERS who fought to prevent a fire spreading through an Ipswich home were unable to save the life of a dog trapped inside.Flames took hold in the ground floor of an end-of-terrace property in Bramford Road, Ipswich.

FIREFIGHTERS who fought to prevent a fire spreading through an Ipswich home were unable to save the life of a dog trapped inside.

Flames took hold in the ground floor of an end-of-terrace property in Bramford Road, Ipswich at about 2.50pm yesterday.

Nobody was inside the house at the time although the firefighters discovered a Jack Russell dog in the kitchen which had died as a result of the blaze.

Neighbour Alison Vince, said the owner of the dog, a man who lives alone at the home, had to be comforted by friends on hearing that the fire had claimed the life of his pet.

“He's very upset,” she said.

“I didn't notice anything until the fire engines turned up.

“I heard some banging and thought it was him but it must have been the fire.

“The firefighters had to break the door down to get in.

“Obviously they didn't know if anyone was there or not.”

Leading firefighter Tony Bickers said the fire was intense when crews arrived.

He said: “Smoke was issuing from the ground and first floor when we arrived. It was quite a severe fire and destroyed the lounge.”

He added that the fire is being treated as accidental although the exact cause is unclear.

Three fire crews attended the scene and four firefighters wearing breathing apparatus searched the house and tackled the blaze.

A spokeswoman for the fire service said the alarm was raised by a passer-by who spotted smoke coming from an upstairs window.

The fire was under control by 3.20pm.

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