THREE people fled their home in the middle of the night after arsonists set it ablaze.

The occupants of the house in Bradford Road, Weymouth, were asleep when their smoke alarms alerted them to the fire downstairs in the early hours of yesterday.

Eyewitnesses described the fire as ‘very intense’ and neighbours around the house evacuated their homes.

Dorset Police and fire investigation officers conducted an investigation at the scene and the police are now treating the blaze as arson.

So far no-one has been arrested.

Eyewitness Brandon McGhee, 44, said that the whole road was out in the street in the early hours.

He said: “I was woken up by my friend I was staying with and they said ‘You have to get out’.

“The place was ablaze. It took a while to put out – about 15 or 20 minutes.

“It was a very intense fire.”

He added: “It was quite spectacular. All the residents of the road were out in the street. There were flames coming out of the whole building.

“The people living there managed to escape. This morning I went out and there was a police team and the fire investigation unit there. It was quite scary, it was a full-on blaze.”

The people at the property, a couple and one other tenant, did not want to be named but wanted to pay tribute to the fire service.

One said: “We would really like to thank the firefighters and our neighbours and friends. We are just glad to be alive.

“If it wasn’t for the smoke detectors, we might not be here.”

He added: “We would also like to thank Matalan. We went there to get some clothes and told them our story and they gave us 20 per cent off because of our situation and they asked if there was anything they could do as a company.”

The tenants said that they had not left any electrical appliances on in the house when they went to bed and that they are non-smokers. The fire is believed to have started on the sofa in the living room.

Detective Constable Beckie Kerley, from Weymouth CID, said they were appealing for anyone who saw anything suspicious or unusual, to come forward and talk to the police.

He said: “At the time of the fire there were three occupants in the house.

“Nobody was injured but there was fire damage to the front room.

“We are investigating this incident as arson.”

Witnesses and anyone with information should call Dorset Police on 01305 222222.

Blaze probe

A SPOKESMAN for Dorset fire and Rescue Service said: “We were called at 1.40am yesterday morning to Bradford Road in Weymouth.

“We sent along two fire crews from Weymouth who were on the scene within five minutes. It was a semi-detached house with two floors, the fire was on the ground floor.

“The occupants had been evacuated but one male was treated by ambulance services for smoke inhalation.

“Fire investigation is taking place and Dorset Police have been called. We are investigating in conjunction with the police.”