A HOUSE fire which destroyed a family’s home was caused by a freezer overheating.

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service told The Gazette that an investigation was carried out following the blaze last Friday on the ground floor of a house in North Acre, Longparish.

The fire was found to be accidental, caused by electrical overheating of components in a freezer.

As reported on The Gazette website, a 13-year-old boy was treated for smoke inhalation following the fire, which took firefighters two hours to get under control.

The entire ground floor of the property was damaged by smoke, and 20 per cent of the first floor.