The back of the house, which was gutted by fire early this morning. Picture by Jamie White.
A FAMILY escaped unharmed after a blaze ripped through their home in the early hours of this morning (Friday).
The owners of the semi-detached, three-bedroom, home in Central Way, Sandown, were in the property when the fire took hold at around 3am.
Norman and Carol Hiles and their two children, Sarah, 15, and Daniel, 18, managed to escape the blaze uninjured.
Around 75 per cent of the roof, 80 per cent of the first floor and 30 per cent of the ground floor was gutted by the fire, according to the Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service, which was alerted when the homeowner dialled 999.
Mrs Hiles, who has lived at the property for six years, said: "We are all in shock at what has happened. We've lost everything. It was the middle of the night and we woke up to the sound of popping and banging and then realised the house was on fire.
"We're not sure how the fire started, but it took hold so fast. We just got out the house as quickly as we could."
The adjoining property has also suffered some damage to an upstairs bedroom, along with some minor smoke damage, after the blaze spread to the roof space.
A spokesperson for the Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that investigations will begin today into how the fire started.
Reporter: jamiew@iwcpmail.co.uk