A dental nurse has praised firefighters who prevented a blaze which severely damaged the next-door house from sweeping through her home.

Sue Ballinger, 54, said the crews had stopped the fire from spreading to her home in Peel Court in Melksham in the early hours of this morning.

She said: "They were amazing. They were absolutely superb. I am very, very lucky. They saved my house. If they had arrived a few minutes later, it could have been a very different story."

Police and fire investigators are looking into the cause of a mystery fire that severely damaged a house in Peel Court just after 5am.

Firefighters from Trowbridge, Bradford on Avon and Corsham were called out at at 5.10am by concerned neighbours.

Two fire crews from Trowbridge with help from Bradford on Avon and Corsham firefighters managed to bring the fire under control within minutes after forcing entry through the front door.

It is understood no-one was in the property when they arrived. Anj investigation into how the fire started has already begun.

A Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service spokeswoman said: "We were called to Peel Court, Melksham, at 5.08am for a fire in a three-storey house.

Four crews attended, from Trowbridge (two), Corsham and Bradford on Avon and four breathing apparatus wearers, two hose reel jets and a main jet were used to extinguish the fire, which was located in a first floor bedroom and adjacent landing.

"An investigation into how the fire started is underway."

A Wiltshire Police spokesman said: “We were called by the fire service at 5.10am today due to a fire at a property in Peel Court, in Melksham. At this stage the fire is not believed to have been started deliberately.”

Mrs Ballinger, who lives next door, said: “I was awoken at 4.50am by the sound of somebody ringing my doorbell.

“At that point, I did not know what was going on and I was a bit nervous as it was pitchblack so I went back upstairs.

“I heard the doorbell ringing again so I went back downstairs to answer it.

“At that stage, I didn’t know that a fire had broken out and didn’t know the house next door was on fire.

“Then I heard the noise through the wall of things exploding. It was coming from the front bedroom.

"Then my lodger called and said the house next door was on fire. I said call 999 and he told me he was already on it.

“I threw on some clothes and went outside and shut all my bedroom doors.

“When I went outside I could see flames coming through the front door and the lights went out and then the front window blew out.

“I was waking up all my neighbours so that we could move our cars,” said Mrs Ballinger, who is a dental nurse.

When fire crews arrived, they forced entry through the front door of the house to tackle the fire.

Four fire crews, two police vehicles and an ambulance attended the scene.

The crews made sure the house was fully ventilated before leaving the scene at around 8am. Police stayed on to talk to neighbours.

The fire-damaged house is now boarded up to ensure that it is secure.