28 January 2012 Last updated at 11:01 ET

Man dead and children 'serious' after Rotherham house fire

The fire is not thought to be suspicious

A man has died and a woman and two young children are seriously ill after a fire at a house in Rotherham.

The man was found downstairs in the house on Wagon Road, Greasbrough, and declared dead at the scene.

The woman and children, a girl aged six and a boy aged three, were found upstairs and taken from the house by firefighters.

South Yorkshire Police said they were in serious but stable conditions at hospitals in Sheffield and Rotherham.

The fire started in the kitchen at 00:45 GMT.

An investigation is taking place to determine the cause but it is not thought to be suspicious.

Mick Mason, from the fire service, said the inside of the semi-detached house was a "scene of devastation".

He said: "There's been some quite intense heat in there. The kitchen's totally gutted and there's quite severe smoke damage to the rest of the premises."

Neighbour Carol Redding said she saw the children being carried from the house.

"It was awful. I knew it was really serious because the children were limp."