A house in Switzerland Terrace, Douglas was severely damaged by fire this afternoon.

Fire crews forced their way into the property and six officers wearing breathing apparatus tackled the blaze.

The property, just off Queen's Promenade, was well alight when the firemen arrived, with large amounts of smoke coming from the roof.

The firemen entered the house from the front and the rear, and in 30 minutes brought the blaze under control.

The fire started in the kitchen, but the occupant was out at the time.

Fire-fighters spent two hours dampening down and checking for hot spots with thermal imaging equipment.

The alarm was raised just after three o'clock this afternoon and the cause of the blaze is being investigated.