Early detection stopped a house fire from spreading, a fire chief said.

It comes after firefighters were called to a bungalow on Street Lane in Longburton on Tuesday afternoon, after smoke was seen coming from the property.

Two fire crews attended the scene, including one from Sherborne and one from Yeovil.

Another crew was later called to assist.

An investigation was launched into what caused the fire and it has been revealed that it was caused by an electrical fault in a heating element of a hot water tank.

Pictures from the scene show the remains of the burned-out hot water tank, which was destroyed by the fire.

A spokesman for Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “Six breathing apparatus were used along with one hose reel jet and safety jet. Quick intervention by firefighters stopped the fire from spreading into the roof space.

“Once the fire had been put out, a pressure fan was used by the crew from Yeovil to ventilate and disperse the smoke.”

There were no casualties and the fire crews returned to their stations around 5.35pm.

Station Manager Jason Rogers said ‘Because the property had been fitted with working smoke alarms, a neighbour heard this and raised the alarm. Early warning of the fire meant that prompt action from the crews allowed them to extinguish the fire quickly to avoid further damage."