An investigation is under way after a wedding party fled a Bradford house when fire broke out in a bedroom.

Toddlers, pensioners and a man in a wheelchair were among 19 people who had to be evacuated from the detached house in Sylhet Close, just off Lumb Lane, Manningham.

A smoke detector alerted the occupants of the house to the blaze just before 3am yesterday.

Fire crews from Bradford and Fairweather Green arrived at the scene to find the whole wedding party waiting for them out on the street.

One of the women wedding guests had gone upstairs after hearing the smoke alarm and found clothes between a bed and a corner unit on fire. The carpet had also ignited.

Another man, who had been at the party, fetched water in a jug to put it out and then closed the door on it while the guests downstairs were quickly evacuated from the house.

Bradford watch commander Alan Holdsworth said fire investigators had started looking for the cause in the early hours immediately after it happened.

Investigators were due to return to the house to speak to the family.

“The cause at the time was unrecorded and is being investigated – the fire investigator is going back to speak to the family. This incident could have had a very serious ending.

“The house was full of people celebrating a wedding – many lives were at risk.

“Smoke detectors save lives. It alerted one of the guests at this house and another managed to do his own risk assessment, and because it was so small and in its early stages he felt confident he could put it out himself then close the door.

“The alternative would have been to look at it, think ‘I’m not touching it’ and close the door on it to keep the fire contained while getting everyone out. In this case the family did exactly the right thing.

“If the fire hadn’t been discovered and dealt with when it was, the whole bedroom could have gone up once the bedding and curtains were involved.”