A HOUSE fire in the Leeman Road area of York was started deliberately, fire service investigators said today.

The blaze at Kingsland Terrace, happened yesterday at about 6pm, and firefighters from Acomb arrived to see flames coming out of the front PVC door and window, which had both been blown out.

They used breathing apparatus to get into the house and found the settee in the front room well alight.

The room had severe fire and smoke damage, and there was severe smoke-logging upstairs.

The occupiers, a married couple, had managed to get out of the house by the time the firefighters arrived.

The husband, who had been upstairs, was taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation. The wife, who was downstairs when the fire started, was uninjured, but extremely upset and was said by firefighters to be too upset to talk.

Neighbours did not want to comment either.

Police officers and scenes-of- crime personnel arrived to examine the house.

Terry Glover, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue spokesman, said today that the fire had been started deliberately.

A spokesman for York Police said they were not looking for anyone else in connection with the fire and were continuing to work with the fire service on their investigation.

A woman was appearing before magistrates today accused of arson.

Updated: 11:56 Monday, June 17, 2002