Fifty Evacuated as Blaze Engulfs Retirement Home in Lee-on-the-Solent
Chaos erupted at a Hampshire retirement home today as a fierce fire forced the evacuation of 50 residents. Firefighters heroically rescued a man and battled intense flames at Hometide House in Lee-on-the-Solent.
Emergency Services Race to Scene
At around 10am, four pumping appliances from Gosport and Fareham rushed to tackle the blaze on Beach Road. They were joined by the command and control unit from Portchester to coordinate the massive response.
Fire crews donned breathing apparatus and used ladders and powerful water jets to wrestle the blaze under control.
One Rescued, Hospitalised with Smoke Inhalation
“It was a very severe fire—very hot, with arduous conditions,” said Group Manager Rob Cole from Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service. “There was lots of smoke, lots of flames, and obviously there’s a need to get into the building to search for persons as quickly as possible. That took an awful lot of effort.”
Firefighters contained the blaze to a single flat, preventing it from spreading further. One resident was taken to hospital as a precaution after suffering from smoke inhalation.
Fire Brought Under Control Within Two Hours
The fire broke out at about 10am and was extinguished by 11.20am. Thanks to the swift actions of emergency teams, a major disaster was averted, and all other residents were safely evacuated from the building.
