FIREFIGHTERS tackled a blaze which gutted a large, thatched, historic house near Meeth after it was apparently struck by lightning during a storm.

Crews from Hatherleigh and Okehampton fought to contain the major fire on Monday evening (June 10).

The alarm was raised at about 9pm after local residents reported what they thought was a barn on fire. The house was unoccupied and had apparently been on fire for some time.

Crews from Hatherleigh, Okehampton and Torrington were the first on the scene along with a water carrier from Barnstaple.

They discovered a large thatched house near Friars Hele Cross well alight. The blaze had spread to the first floor of the building and the roof.

Firefighting reinforcements were called out from North Tawton, Holsworthy and Bideford, together with special supporting appliances from Bovey Tracey, Ilfracombe, Barnstaple, Crediton and Exeter.

At midnight, the crews were still on site, fighting the fire which had by then spread to adjoining buildings.

They split into four sections to tackle the blaze from different heights and angles, using both compressed air foam and water to contain it.

By daybreak on Tuesday, the fire had been brought under control and the number of firefighters scaled back.

Relief crews were drafted in from Witheridge and Braunton to dampen down the fire and checks were made to ensure the thatch didn’t reignite later in the day.

‘Crews have made steady progress and are currently at work damping down hotspots using ladders, main jets and hose reel jets,’ said a Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson, on Tuesday.

‘The cause of the fire has been confirmed as a lightning strike to the recently re-thatched roof.’

Okehampton firefighter Adam Keats said: ‘The whole of the roof was well alight when we arrived. It was just a matter of knocking the fire back and preserving as much of the building as we possibly could.’

The fire had already spread to the first floor of an extension behind the main house on the other side of a courtyard but crews were able to remove belongings from the ground floor.

Adam said the fire was more advanced because it was unnoccupied.