Skip to main content
Home
Accessibility Tool
  • Zoom in
  • Zoom out
  • Reset
  • Contrast
  • Accessibility help
Other languages

Language

Disclaimer

This website provides a translate function to accommodate our diverse audience. However, translations are automated and may not fully capture the nuances of the original language. For critical information, please refer to the source text.

Close
Search

People often search for...

When should I test my smoke alarm?
Home safety visits
Thatch fire safety
Report a problem with a fire hydrant
How safe is my heater?
Chimney fires
Close
  • Home
  • Safety advice
    Back
    Safety advice
      • Safety at home
        Back
        Safety at home
        • How to stay safe
        • Alarms and detectors
        • Risks in your home
        • Advice for parents
        • Advice for carers
      • Business safety
        Back
        Business safety
        • Risk assessments
        • High rise buildings
        • Guidance for businesses
        • Landlords and holiday lets
        • Inspections and enforcement
        • Farms and agriculture
      • Safety outdoors
        Back
        Safety outdoors
        • Animal and bird rescues
        • Water safety
        • Wildfires
        • Rescue incidents and tips to avoid them
      • Safety on the road
  • About us
    Back
    About us
      • Our people
      • Our fire stations
      • Fleet and equipment
      • How we respond to emergency calls
      • Community Risk Management Plan
      • In your area
      • Information and data transparency
      • What we spend
      • Our performance
      • Request information
      • Have your say
        Back
        Have your say
        • Complaints
        • Compliments
        • Public consultations
      • Developing our Service
      • Our environmental strategy
      • Equality and diversity
      • Work with us
      • Community events
        Back
        Community events
        • Community conversations
      • Customer Charter
      • Sexual Safety Charter
      • Fire Authority(link is external)
      • Fire, rescue and safety training (Red One)(link is external)
      • Firefighters' pensions board
      • Armed Forces Covenant
  • Newsroom
    Back
    Newsroom

    Latest news

    A close up image of a fire engine door with a DSFR logo
    News
    23 May 2025

    Inspection report praises emergency response and Service’s awareness of areas to improve

    Biker Down attendees at SHQ celebrate 10 years
    News
    14 May 2025

    Major milestone for our Biker Down workshops

    • Incidents
    • News
    • Events
    • Social media
  • Careers
    Back
    Careers
      • Vacancies
      • Become an on-call firefighter
        Back
        Become an on-call firefighter
        • Application process (on-call)
      • Become a wholetime firefighter
        Back
        Become a wholetime firefighter
        • Application process (wholetime)
      • The role of a firefighter
      • The role of a fire control operator
        Back
        The role of a fire control operator
        • Become a fire control operator
      • Support staff roles
      • Looking after our people
        Back
        Looking after our people
        • Embracing equal opportunities
        • Supporting women in the Service
      • Pay rates
      • Benefits
      • Request a careers talk
  • Education and young people
    Back
    Education and young people
      • Early years, reception and year one
      • Primary schools
        Back
        Primary schools
        • Primary school fire safety visits
        • Great Fire of London
      • Secondary schools
      • Safety resources for children and young people
        Back
        Safety resources for children and young people
        • Fire and road safety resources
      • Fire starting behaviour in children
      • Join the fire cadets
      • Scout and Guide groups - awards and badges
      • Young drivers
      • Work experience

Contact

  • Contact us

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Incidents
  3. Property Fire:Retail /public Building; EX31 3; 03-Dec-2023 02:34
FacebookXEmailWhatsappMessenger Share
Incident

Property fire

Date
2.34am - 03 December 2023
Last updated
7.58am - 03 December 2023
Status
Closed
Incident type
Retail /public building
Location
Tawstock
Attending station
Barnstaple
Braunton
South Molton
Appledore
Ilfracombe

Fire control received a call from police who had one of their officers spot a fire at the above location while responding to a separate incident. Three pumps, an aerial appliance, and a fire officer were immediately mobilised. Upon arrival, crews discovered one of the school buildings was well alight and got to work with 2 breathing apparatus, 1 hose reel jet, 1 thermal imaging camera, and 1 safety jet. A request for a further 2 fire appliances was made which came from South Molton and Appledore fire stations, along with an incident command unit from Ilfracombe and supporting fire officers.

Update 03:22 - Fire confirmed within school building and crews are working to extinguish fire with 2 breathing apparatus, 1 hose reel jet, 1 safety jet, 1 foam jet, 1 thermal imaging camera, 1 short ladder, and small tools.

Update 04:05 - Crews working to identify hotspots within building and extinguish. The electric has now been isolated by National Grid.

Update 07:07 - Fire now extinguished. 100% smoke damage throughout building with 50% flame and heat damage. To extinguish the fire, crews used:

  • 10 breathing apparatus
  • 2 hose reel jets
  • 1 covering jet
  • 1 foam jet
  • 1 gas monitor
  • Small tools

1 pump remained on scene for a short time to support fire investigation activity however the cause of the fire is still being investigated. The responsibility of the scene was handed over to police.

These are the full and final details.

What to do if there's a fire in your home

Find out more

Smoke alarms

Find out more

Reduce your risk of having a fire at home

Find out more

Footer menu

  • Home
  • Safety advice
      • Safety at home
      • Business safety
      • Safety outdoors
      • Safety on the road
  • About us
      • Our people
      • Our fire stations
      • Fleet and equipment
      • How we respond to emergency calls
      • Community Risk Management Plan
      • In your area
      • Information and data transparency
      • What we spend
      • Our performance
      • Request information
      • Have your say
      • Developing our Service
      • Our environmental strategy
      • Equality and diversity
      • Work with us
      • Community events
      • Customer Charter
      • Sexual Safety Charter
      • Fire Authority(link is external)
      • Fire, rescue and safety training (Red One)(link is external)
      • Firefighters' pensions board
      • Armed Forces Covenant
    • Newsroom
      • Incidents
      • News
      • Events
      • Social media
    • Careers
        • Vacancies
        • Become an on-call firefighter
        • Become a wholetime firefighter
        • The role of a firefighter
        • The role of a fire control operator
        • Support staff roles
        • Looking after our people
        • Pay rates
        • Benefits
        • Request a careers talk
    • Education and young people
        • Early years, reception and year one
        • Primary schools
        • Secondary schools
        • Safety resources for children and young people
        • Fire starting behaviour in children
        • Join the fire cadets
        • Scout and Guide groups - awards and badges
        • Young drivers
        • Work experience

Translate the website

Footer contact

  • Contact us

Staff login

Always call 999 in an emergency

Did you find this page useful

  • Yes
  • No

Follow us

  • Facebook(link is external)
  • Twitter(link is external)
  • Youtube(link is external)
  • Instagram(link is external)
  • Linkedin(link is external)
  • Follow us
  • Print this page

Footer bottom

  • Our website
  • Sitemap
  • Cookies
  • Privacy notices
  • Modern Slavery Act 2015
  • Accessibility

Disability Confident employer logoEmployers Network for Equality and Inclusion logoBritish Quality Foundation logoEmployers network for equality and inclusion logoFire pride and allies logo Armed Forces Covenant