Eight fire engines were called to Stoneycroft in Aldbury, near Tring, at around 12.30am after a blaze swept through the first floor and roof of a house.

They fire service arrived to find that a man in his 50s had been led to safety by two neighbours.

He was taken to Stoke Mandeville Hospital with burns to his arms, chest and face, and is now in a stable condition.

One other person was treated for smoke inhalation but did not need to go to hospital.

Meanwhile, houses nearby were evacuated.

According to Beej Parmar, owner of nearby pub The Valiant Trooper, around 25 people including four or five children living nearby relocated to the pub.

There they were given hot drinks and the children were given blankets so they could sleep.

He added that by 3am everybody had found space to sleep at houses of friends.

Mr Parmar said: "We just tried to make sure everybody was looked after – what I would expect other people would do for me.

"In Aldbury we all stick together."

The blaze was put out by around 1.45am, though firefighters were at the scene until just after 11.30am this morning.

The fire is not being treated as suspicious.

For more information and an interview with one of the men who came to the man's rescue, see The Gazette.

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