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Firefighters tackle thatched cottage blaze in Chirton, near Devizes Devizes thatched house fire: 'Picture-postcard' home shock
(about 1 hour later)
A fire in a thatched cottage in a Wiltshire village has left the roof of the building well alight. Fire has destroyed the roof of a "picture-postcard" thatched home in a Wiltshire village.
The blaze in Chirton, near Devizes, was tackled by more than 50 firefighters and salvage work is under way to remove property from the building. The blaze in Chirton, near Devizes, was tackled by almost 70 firefighters. Salvage work is under way to remove property from the building.
Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Service said it was called to the incident at about 06:50 GMT and expected to remain at the scene for the rest of the day. Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Service said crews faced a "big challenge" when they were called out early on Sunday.
Fire officers said nobody was believed to have been injured. The house owner and a dog were in building, but it is believed nobody was injured.
Ian Jeary, from the fire service, said the alarm was raised by a neighbour who saw flames coming from the thatched roof.
'A real shock'
"It's a real picture-postcard property and now it's not quite looking like that I'm afraid.
"All of the thatch has gone. It's a real shock for the owner," he said.
"As is the way with thatched roof fires, it's almost impossible to put them out once they've taken hold because of the nature of the material involved and because it's a roof, which is designed to take water off it rather than soak it in.
"We also had a big challenge with [enough] water and access."
He said it was too early to say how the fire started, but an investigation was under way.