The blaze is thought to have started in a garden shed and spread to a hedge and an empty end-terraced house at about 11.15pm on Monday June 29.

The shed is thought to have contained a motorbike belonging to the owner of the house who is currently away.

Neighbours, Kerry Houghton, 39, and son, Kieran, 20, raised the alarm on Monday night.

Kerry said: "My son woke me up and shouted for me to come out and see.

"We rang the fire brigade and then helped the lady who lives next door to the house to get her kids out.

Kieran said: "I heard a bang and I could see flames coming from the shed."

The adjacent houses received water damage during the blaze.

Fire crews from Ilkeston, Ripley, Long Eaton and an aerial ladder platform from Derby Kingsway rushed to the scene on Monday night.

Fire and police crews said they are investigating what caused the blaze this morning.

For more, see this week's Ilkeston Advertiser out Thursday.