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More Than 50 Firefighters Tackle Calbourne Blaze As Pictures Show Devastating Aftermath

Calbourne fire (Twitter @IWFRSRYDE)

More than 50 firefighters have spent the night tackling a thatch roof fire in Calbourne.

Crews from Newport, Freshwater, Cowes, East Cowes, Ryde and Shanklin were joined by firefighters from St Mary’s, Fareham, Southsea, Hightown, Cosham, Havant, Eastleigh and Portchester at the incident in Elm Lane.

As previously reported, the call came in at 7.09pm last night (Sunday) and the roof of the property was well alight.

(Picture: Twitter @IWFRSRYDE)

Firefighters wore breathing apparatus and used water jets and the Aerial Ladder Platform while thatch was stripped from the roof and salvage operations began.

By 4am, progress had been made to strip thatch from the roof and the incident was scaled down. The stop message was received at 5.22am.

(Picture: Twitter @IWFRSRYDE)

The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service said the ground floor of the cottage has been 100 per cent damaged by smoke and water and the first floor is estimated to have been 80 per cent damaged.

Group Manager, Justin Harden, said:

“Thatch fires are notoriously difficult and the crews worked tirelessly throughout the night. My thanks to them for their dedication and for managing to salvage most of the owner’s personal property while the fire was happening.

“The cause of the fire was accidental. It’s believed to have started when a fire was lit in the hearth.

“Incidents like these show how important it is for chimneys to be swept and inspected.”

(Picture: Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service)

One crew has remained on scene this morning to dampen down and check for hotspots.

Read more on chimney safety and thatched living: hantsfire.gov.uk/safety/home-safe-home/what-type-of-property-do-you-live-in/thatched-living/

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