A postman alerted firefighters after he spotted black smoke billowing from a house.

Crews from Horsham were called to Capel Road, in Rusper, near Horsham, at about noon today.

They found smoke coming from a faulty boiler. The fault caused black smoke but no fire.

No one was in the house at the time and a plumber was called to help.

The inside of the house was smoke damaged and was later ventilated while the owners were contacted.

Earlier Horsham firefighters were called to a kitchen blaze at a house in Cook Road, Horsham.

The fire began on an unattended hob and was doused within minutes after the crews arrived at 9.30am.

The house was ventilated after the blaze. No one was injured.