Thatched cottage saved by fire-resistant boarding

A Devonshire cottage has escaped total destruction thanks to fire-resistant boarding under the thatched roof.

More than 100 firefighters attended the fire at the Grade II listed thatch cottage near Drewsteignton.

Senior South Devon fire officer Andy Rowse said that the fire-resistant boarding under the thatch saved the property from being burnt to a shell.

Thirty per cent of the roof was destroyed and the first floor of the house suffered smoke and water damage. Luckily, many of the occupants belongings, including family heirlooms were rescued.

There were no casualties reported although an elderly couple were in the house at the time but managed to escape unhurt.

Along with the many firefighters, police, the Red Cross, emergency support services and the Salvation Army also offered their support.

By midnight fire crews were damping down hot spots and the incident was scaled down to four appliances from Torquay, Exmouth, Chulmleigh and Princetown.

Station commander Rowse said: “The crews did a fantastic job in difficult circumstances. The cottage had a layer of fire-resistant boarding under the thatch. It worked wonders to save the property. So many times firefighters have been to thatch fires where the roof has completely gone and all that’s left is a shell — in this case only 30 per cent of the roof has gone and the damage elsewhere has been minimal. The location was difficult because the house was down a very narrow country lane which gave us challenges getting appliances there and the water hydrant was half a mile away. But everyone worked together very efficiently.”

It is thought that the fire was caused by a defective chimney flue.