The blaze happened at about 9.30am this morning (Thursday) at a vacant bungalow in Great Road.

Firefighters called to the scene found the property well alight and fire in an adjacent garage.

The crews tackled the flames with a hose jet and it was under control shortly after 10am.

Watch commander Chris York from Hemel Hempstead Fire Station said: "The house is derelict but people have been storing stuff in there.

"I think that added to the development of the fire.

"It started breaking into the main part of the house, but we managed to stop it."

After the fire was under control a nearby neighbour, who asked not to be named, said she had feared the blaze would spread to her own home.

"It was going well and coming this way," she said.

The resident added that fire had broken out in the derelict house before and called for someone to take action to prevent it happening again.

She said: "I just think something needs to be done really."