Word of warning to thatched cottage owners

In the early hours of this morning a couple lost their home to fire. The property was a thatched cottage in North Devon. Maxine Wilcox, 68, was awoken by her cat at about 4.00am when she noticed that their thatched roof was alight. The couple immediately left the property and called Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service.

Mr and Mrs Wilcox waited outside while firefighters tackled the blaze and salvaged as much of their belongings as they could.  A total of 15 fire appliances attended the incident.

The roof was completely destroyed by fire, with the first floor being severely damaged and the ground floor slightly damaged by fire. All the property is now water damaged. Working smoke alarms were fitted in the property. The fire was accidental, and further investigation of the chimney needs to take place along with the insurance investigators.

Jeff Harding, Incident Commander, said: “The fire was in the roof, over two houses with a shared roof space. We knew it was in the roof and we knew we could not tackle it at that point because if we tried we would have lost the building.

“Our focus was on moving the personal belongings of the occupier while trying to stop the fire spreading into the extensions either side of the thatched property.

“I am really proud of what the crews here have done and how hard they have worked to save the extensions and as many belongings as possible.

”The British Red Cross were wonderful as before they arrived the couple just had to sit in their car watching their home burning. We were looking after them, but with the arrival of the British Red Cross they were moved away from the scene to be in the warm with a cup of tea and be supported.”

Volunteers from the British Red Cross fire and emergency support service were requested by the fire service to look after the welfare of Mr and Mrs Wilcox while they focused on tackling the blaze.

Maxine said: “It has been such a shock this morning. As soon as we realised what was happening we got out of the cottage and called the fire brigade. I’m just glad the cat woke me up.”

“It was absolutely freezing outside so it was nice to be able to get into the Red Cross vehicle” said Maxine. “It was lovely and warm and the chaps made us a cup of coffee. Both Keith and Nathan are very friendly and chatty and they have been able to put us at ease. I really appreciate and admire them very much. The Red Cross do such a brilliant job – they really are wonderful.”

Keith, who has been a volunteer with the Red Cross FESS service since it launched ten years ago, said: “The fire service have done a fantastic job here this morning. They have been able to salvage probably 95% of the couple’s belonging. Obviously Mr and Mrs Wilcox are very upset and shocked, but they are both safe and well, which is the most important thing.”

Thatch roofs

Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service remind owners of thatched properties to regularly check their chimneys. Fire in thatch is not an inevitable occurrence but it is an organic material, subject to different behaviour patterns depending on its surroundings, treatments and choice of materials or styles. It has a finite life span, measured in tens rather than hundreds of years. And above all it is combustible

Fire in a thatched roof is difficult to detect and once started is almost impossible to control as it will spread rapidly, due to the very nature of how thatch burns and detection is often too late and invariably devastating!

A thatched home can be ruined not only by the fire but by the amount of water needed to put it out, within an ancient cottage water can dissolve old cobb walls as well as causing serious water damage throughout.

Sweep your chimney

It is vital that chimneys are regularly swept.  Regular inspection and cleaning of chimney flues will help prevent fires, we recommend the following:

• Solid fuel appliances – once a year for smokeless fuel and twice a year for coal
• Wood-burning appliances – every three months when in use, note that soot builds up rapidly from wood fires; avoid using wet or unseasoned wood
• Gas appliances – once a year if designed for sweeping
• Oil appliances – once a year

Smoke alarms

Smoke alarms are the easiest way to alert you to the danger of fire, giving you precious time to escape. They are cheap, easy to get hold of and easy to fit.

In a thatched property smoke alarms need be fitted in the roof space and linked to the others in your home. A fire in the roof space will be detected and the warning will be given throughout the house, not having sufficient fire alarms means you are more than twice as likely to die in a fire at home. 

How do you look after smoke alarms?

Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service advises you to:

• Once a year – Change your battery or consider buying a ten-year alarm which will not require frequent battery changes.
• Regularly  – Check the alarm by pressing the button.
• Once a year – Vacuum and wipe the smoke alarm casing to ensure dust isn’t blocking the sensor chamber (For mains wired alarms, switch off first).

Contacts

National Society of Master Thatchers – contact details

www.nsmtltd.co.uk telephone 01844 281208

To find a certified Chimney Sweep, or for more information on chimney fire safety, please visit www.guild-of-master-sweeps.co.uk or www.nacs.org.uk.