A HOUSE fire in St Albans caught a family unawares yesterday evening.

St Albans firefighters reached the Skyswood Road scene at around 7.30pm last night to extinguish a small kitchen fire.

Two crews used a hose reel and one jet to dowse the flames. The family, all of who were inside the house at the time, were given first-aid treatment on the scene, although nobody suffered any serious injuries.