FIRE crews worked through the night to battle a blaze at a £1.4million house in Branksome Park.

Firefighters were called to the incident on Western Avenue at the large detached house at 2.30am.

At the peak of the fire nine crews were on the scene and the flames could be clearly seen lighting up the windows from the side of the road.

A spokesman for Dorset Fire Control said it was initially thought to be a garden fire.

He added: “On arrival the crew from Westbourne found a property to be well alight and eight further appliances were sent to the incident."

The roof of the property appeared to have been destroyed and the windows on the first floor smashed.

Speaking at the scene shortly after 9am, crew manager Jason Browne said the cause of the fire was unknown.

“Investigations will take place when it is deemed safe to enter the building,” he added.

“Nobody was in the building at the time of the fire.”

At 10am an aerial platform was used and firefighters utilised thermal imaging technology to locate and dampen down the remaining hot spots in the building.

A police officer stood guard at entrance of the house’s driveway throughout the morning and a scientific investigation team was also present.

Property website Zoopla estimated the house to be worth £1.4million. In the last five years nine properties have been sold on the road for an average of £2.45million.

Chairman of Branksome Park Residents Association, John Sprackling, said he was relieved to hear nobody came to harm in the fire.

He added: “It was a relatively new property constructed in 2005. It is sad that a nice house like this built within the last 10 years has been destroyed.”