FLAMES have ripped through a Felixstowe bedroom today as a man slept in the room.

FLAMES have ripped through a Felixstowe bedroom today as a man slept in the room.

The man, who is in his twenties, was woken by his fire alarm around 3.50am and managed to escape from the serious blaze along with the two other occupants of the King Street house, a young man and woman.

The fire completely gutted the bedroom, the window was smashed by the blaze, and large flames shot from the back of the house.

Neighbour Christopher Handley said: “There were plenty of flames. I heard voices in the street so I looked out of the window.

“There was a big bang and I saw flames coming out so I rang the fire brigade and they said they were already on their way.”

Another neighbour, who did not want to be named, said: “I heard lots of noise and looked out of the window to see lots of smoke.

“There were flames shooting out of the back window. It was quite dramatic.

“Three young people were standing outside; one was in his underpants and a jacket so my husband took him over some clothes because he was shivering.

“Smoke was going through to the other houses by the lofts.”

Assistant divisional officer Dave Pedersen said if it had not been for the working smoke alarm which woke the man sleeping in the bedroom where the fire started there could have been much more serious consequences.

He added: “It was a very severe bedroom fire in the first floor and the alarm was raised to us by the people living there.

“They were woken by the smoke alarm and by the time we got there they were outside so we tackled the fire - it shows the importance of having an alarm.

“The property was heavily smoke-logged. The fire broke the back window and smoke damaged adjoining properties.

“It was lucky that nobody was hurt.”

The fire was due to be investigated today to try to establish its cause.

Do you live at the house? Contact The Evening Star news desk on 01473 324788 or e-mail starnews@eveningstar.co.uk