A man in his 60s was airlifted to hospital after a fire in his home in Littleton Panell, near Devizes, yesterday evening.

Fire crews from Devizes and Westbury were called to the blaze on the first floor of the house in North Close shortly before 6pm.

Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the house and rescued the man before he was flown to Salisbury District Hospital suffering from smoke inhalation.

Pip Flowers, commander of Devizes fire station, said: “The fire was pretty much out when we arrived as I think the victim had tackled it himself. The crews found the gentleman and took him outside where he started to rally when he reached the fresh air.

“There were four people in the house at the time but this gentleman was the only one affected. There was thick black smoke and quite a bit of smoke damage to the first floor.

“A smoke detector had raised the alarm so this is another example of how valuable they are.”

The cause of the fire is being investigated but it is not thought to be suspicious.