(Cover) - EN Showbiz - Kate Winslet escaped uninjured when a fire tore through Sir Richard Branson's luxury Caribbean home in the middle of the night.

The British actress and her children had been holidaying at The Great House on the business mogul's Necker Island, his private isle in the British Virgin Islands.

Around 20 people were staying in the house, including Richard's 90-year-old mother, Eve, and his daughter Holly, who managed to escape the burning building unhurt.

Richard says his son Sam helped everyone escape the inferno.

"We had a really bad tropical storm with winds up to 90mph. A big lightning storm came around 4am and hit the house," he explained to British newspaper The Sun.

"My son Sam rushed to the house and helped get everyone out. Kate Winslet, her boyfriend and her family were there and Holly and some of her friends were also staying. My mother was there and they managed to get her out and she is fine.

"The main house is completely destroyed and the fire is not yet completely out. My office was based in the house and I have lost thousands of photographs which is very sad.

There's a lot of damage and we won't be able to stick it back together again right away. It was a beautiful house."

Richard was staying in another property around 100 metres away with his wife, Joan and son, Sam.

Kate was at the property with daughter Mia, ten, from her first marriage to Jim Threapleton, and a son, Joe, seven, by second husband, director Sam Mendes. (C) Cover Media