Quick action of firecrews prevents thatched roof fire from spreading

The quick response of fire crews from across Hampshire prevented a thatched house fire from taking hold, limiting damage to just the roof.

At the height of the incident more than 60 firefighters were in attendance at the fire in the village of Durley, with the first engine quickly on scene.

Crews from Hightown, Eastleigh, St Mary’s, Romsey, Bishop’s Waltham, Portchester, Botley, Fareham, Winchester, Droxford, Fareham and Cosham were called to the property in Parsonage Lane shortly before 20:10 on Friday (March 25).

Smoke could be seen coming from the roof near to the chimney and firefighters created fire breaks, using foam sprayed from an aerial ladder, to quickly prevent the flames from spreading.

By 9:30pm the fire had been isolated to the chimney breast area and was under control, with firefighters removing all the affected thatch from the building. And by 10:30pm the incident had been scaled down, releasing crews and ensuring fire cover could be maintained across the county.

Group Manager Mark Woods said: “Thatch roof fires have the potential to spread rapidly and are usually very difficult to extinguish. Sadly, many homes are destroyed once a fire takes hold in a thatched property so we are really pleased to say that in this case, that hasn’t happened.

“The property had a fire retardant liner underneath the thatch, effectively protecting the roof timbers and the rest of the house. That’s made a huge difference and, along with some really fast and effective firefighting from our crews, it has meant the damage has been limited to just the roof area around the initial ignition.”

The stop message was received at 11:18pm with all crews returning to station, but a reinspection was carried out at 04:00am.

The cause of the fire is believed to have been from a spark leaving the chimney and landing on the thatch.