NEIGHBOURS have spoken of their shock after five people were taken to hospital after inhaling smoke from a house fire in Govilon on Sunday evening.

A Welsh Ambulance Service spokeswoman said paramedics were called to the house in Dragon Lane at 5.51pm after they received a report of the fire.

A paramedic in a rapid response car and a crew in an emergency ambulance attended and five people – three adults, one teenager and a baby – were taken to Nevill Hall Hospital in Abergavenny. All were suffering from the effects of smoke inhalation, the spokeswoman said.

One neighbour, Lucy Draper, said she had not even realised the fire had taken place until she walked her dog shortly afterwards.

She said: "The house doesn't look too bad considering, but there are burnt items outside and it still smells like smoke.

"The road was partially blocked off following the fire. When I went past an hour or so later there was still a big crowd outside, although the fire was out by that point. It was around 8pm."

"I don't know the people myself but it was very shocking, especially as this is such a small community. I know everyone is thinking of them at this time, I'm just glad no one was seriously hurt.

"We saw a fire engine and ambulance there the next day as well which seemed to be related."

Another neighbour, who lives on the same street as the fire but did not want to be named said: "There were three fire engines, two police cars and an ambulance and they stayed about two hours, from about 5.30 to 7.30pm.

"The houses on either side were evacuated as the fire service said there was a danger of the fire spreading, but luckily it didn't.

"The people who live in the house haven't been on the street very long, a couple of months maybe."

Another neighbour, Ray Williams, said: "First I knew of it was when the emergency services arrived. The smoke got into the houses on either side of the house that was on fire.

"Me and the wife were evacuated from our house as well as they thought it might spread - the wife sat in the car.

"We were lucky it didn't spread. Someone said it was because of the good job the way the houses were built that it didn't spread and wasn't worse than it is. We're very lucky."

Two fire crews, from Blaenavon and Abergavenny, left the mid-terrace house at 7pm and 7.45pm once they had put out the fire. They had dealt with the blaze, which started in a first floor bedroom, since 5.50pm.

The condition of those evacuated is not currently known.