A HOUSEHOLDER and his neighbour tried to tackle a blazing bedroom with a garden hose this evening but had to abandon the attempt when a “fireball” exploded through the window.

The cause of the fire, at a mid-terraced house in Whetley Hill, was still under investigation tonight but all occupants of the house were able to escape unharmed.

Fire broke out in Fehzan Majid’s bedroom while he was downstairs washing pots and he slammed the bedroom door shut to contain the fire.

The 25-year-old then worked with neighbour Faisal Iqbal, 28, to try to douse the blaze with a garden hose from outside but they were driven back when the fire blew out the bedroom window, showering the area with glass.

Fire crews arrived quickly and brought the blaze under control. It was contained to the one room, with smoke penetration elsewhere and heat damage to the exterior of the house.

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service station commander Richard Hall said the room had wooden cladding on the ceiling which helped the fire to burn with more ferocity.

But he said fire crews had done “an excellent job” in using positive pressure fans to clear fumes and allow firefighters to go into the property to douse the flames.

Neighbouring homes were also checked as a precaution because smoke had entered those properties.

A fire investigation officer had been called in to help try to pinpoint the cause of the fire, which remained unclear as firefighters worked at the scene.

However, there was nothing initially to suggest any malicious cause for the incident.