WEST Hampstead residents were evacuated in the middle of the night after a fire broke out. A house on Priory Road went up in flames in the early hours of Thursday morning, forcing emergency services to evacuate neighbouring homes. Around 15 people were fo

WEST Hampstead residents were evacuated in the middle of the night after a fire broke out.

A house on Priory Road went up in flames in the early hours of Thursday morning, forcing emergency services to evacuate neighbouring homes.

Around 15 people were forced to flee as firefighters battled the blaze from 5.30am. Luckily, no one was home at the affected property and the fire was stopped from spreading further down the road.

"I could hear a smoke alarm and then I looked out of the balcony and I was horrified to see the fire," said Melissa Reinke who lives opposite and called 999.

"There was loads of smoke coming out of the front door and I could see flames coming out the back of the house."

Police are investigating but at this stage cannot say whether the blaze is suspicious.

For more on this story, see next week Thursday's Ham&High.