THREE people had a lucky escape after a flat fire in the Bemerton Heath area.

Firefighters were called to the scene at around 9.30am on Monday.

A fire service spokesman said three females and three dogs had escaped the blaze before the arrival of the fire service.

Police and ambulance also attended.

Salisbury Fire Station manager, Dan Cooke, said: “We would like to remind the public how important smoke alarms are in order to make sure what are serious incidents are not tragic losses of life.”