Grantham dad returned home to a find it ablaze

A man in Grantham came home to his house up in flames when he opened the back door and had a “face full of smoke” before he called the fire service.

Roger Mortiss, 42, a local photographer, called for Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue at 1.37pm after finding his home on Dudley Road on fire.

Although he lives with his 11-year-old daughter for half the week, fortunately no one was in the house, including his two cats.

Mr Mortiss doesn’t know how the fire started and is waiting for more information on the cause as it is investigated by fire officers.

He said: “I took my daughter swimming and dropped her off for the afternoon. When I got home I opened the back door and had a face full of smoke.

“First thing I did was get my phone and punch in the three nines.

“They weren’t long, but when you’re stood around waiting it always seems longer. They were very efficient though.”

“Yesterday I was a bit up and down but I’m not too bad now,” he said.

“There’s never a good time.”

Mr Mortiss will stay in a spare room at a relatives in Woolsthorpe, near Belvoir.

A spokesman for the fire service said: “Two appliances attended a house fire on Dudley Road, Grantham yesterday, one from Grantham fire station and one from Sleaford.

“There was severe damage by fire to the kitchen and ground floor of the property and smoke damage to the remainder of the house.

“It was caused by an electrical fault. There were no injuries.”