The fire, recorded shortly before 05:00 in that locality in the district of Viseu, displaced two adults and three children, who in the meantime were taken in by relatives.

According to Humberto Sarmento, one of the injured "is a man who was once a firefighter, rescued the sleeping children and the dog and tried to fight the flames".

The former firefighter "had the knowledge, but did not have the equipment", stressed the commander, adding that he suffered light burns on his hair and part of his face and had hoarseness.

The woman also "showed signs of hoarseness" and, therefore, they were both transported to Lamego Hospital, to find out if the airways were affected, he explained.

The commander added that the fire affected part of the house and left it uninhabitable.

There were 19 operators and six firefighters, Municipal Civil Protection and GNR vehicles on site.