A NORTH Yorkshire family is counting the cost after a fire gutted their dormer bungalow.

The blaze began at about 7.30pm, on Wednesday, in Scurragh Lane, Skeeby.

Crews fought to stop the flames spreading to a neighbouring property and at the height of the incident, 25 firefighters were involved with the intense heat blowing out windows and igniting roof trusses. Firefighters were still damping down four hours later.

"Fortunately, the owners were not in the house at the time," said Assistant Divisional Officer Nigel Phillips.

"Had anyone been upstairs, the intensity of the fire and the speed with which it spread would have made it difficult for them to escape."

The cause of the blaze has been traced to a faulty wire in a fridge in the kitchen.