THE front room of a house was set alight after ash from an open fire was not properly disposed of.

And it could have been even worse, as it emerged the occupant had no working smoke alarm, the fire service said.

Crews from Wilton and Amesbury Fire Station were called to an address in Wylye at 3.41pm yesterday (Thursday December 15).

Two breathing apparatus wearers and one hose reel jet were used and the stop was at 4.59pm.

A spokesperson for Wilton Fire Station said: "If it wasn't due to the quick actions of the occupant it could have been a lot worse as there was no smoke detection in the property.

"If you have an open fire or log burner please ensure ash and hot embers are disposed of safely."

The fire service is urging people to check their smoke alarms are working and to "make it a priority" to install some if they haven't got any.