A house in Trowbridge escaped being badly damaged by fire last week, thanks to the activation of a domestic sprinkler system.

Fire crews were called to the property shortly after 6.30pm, but found the blaze had been extinguished by sprinklers. As a result, damage was minimal and, said Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, there was no risk to the occupants who were downstairs at the time.

Although the exact cause of the fire remains unclear, there were no suspicious circumstances.

The Studley Green estate is said to have been the first housing development in Europe to be fitted with domestic sprinklers following its rebuild in 1999.

“This is the third time that the sprinklers at Studley Green have done their job, and it is heartening to know that so little fire damage was caused,” said chief fire officer, Andy Goves. “It is quite clear that this would have developed into a significant fire had the sprinklers not activated, affecting the bedroom and potentially the whole top floor of the house."

Barry Hughes, chief executive of Selwood Housing, which owns and manages the Studley Green estate, said: “Although it is always distressing for the residents involved in a fire, thankfully the sprinklers reduced the damage to the home and the family were able to move back after just one night in temporary accommodation.”