Property fire

We were called at 10.20am to reports of a two-storey thatched property on Church Road in Ilton on fire and have been on site throughout the day.

All people inside the property have evacuated and crews are doing all they can to save as much of the property as possible and prevent the fire escalating. 

We had 19 fire engines in attendance at the height of the fire. We used three hose reel jets and 12 safety jets. Six breathing apparatus, one fog spike, and a thatching lance to create a fire break. We have also used a smoke curtain to stop fire and smoke from spreading to other parts of the property. 

Unfortunately power in the nearby area needed to be switched off to deal with the incident. This was turned on back on between 5pm and 7pm to allow residents nearby to heat homes and cook.

Morning update, 2 December:

Crews have been on scene overnight damping down areas to stop the fire escalating again. We currently have one appliance at the scene continuing to deal with hotspots. Agencies have restored power to neighbouring properties.

Unfortunately parts of the building have become unstable and it's important that people remain a safe distance from the property. 

We want to say a huge thank you to local residents for their patience and co-operation during this long and challenging incident. We also want to thank our partner agencies who have been working with us to tackle the incident and make sure people are safe and looked after. 

We'll continue a presence on site to stop any further escalation.