A chimney fire is being blamed for the blaze in Codford which destroyed two Grade II listed thatched cottages.

Firefighters from ten fire stations across Wiltshire were at the High Street fire, which started on Saturday just before 5pm.

They managed to save a third cottage in the terrace.

Alasdair Rennie, who owns the centre cottage and is a parish councillor, said: “I had just finished mowing the lawn and noticed wisps of smoke around the base of the chimney.

“I called the fire service, went next door to get my neighbours out and then jumped up on a ladder with a hose to try and put it out.

“With a roof that is designed to repel water it was impossible to make an impact – that’s why the firefighters had to rake the thatch off.”

Alasdair’s wife, Stephanie, had been driving home from a birthday party with their two-year-old son when she saw a huge cloud of smoke billowing out into the sky, only realising it was their home as she got closer.

She said: “The firefighters tried to save our house by creating a firebreak but the fire was too advanced and they quickly had to make the decision to save the third one.

“We were lucky as there was hardly any wind that night unlike a few days before – if there had been a strong wind, we would have been in all sorts of bother.

“We would really like to thank the firefighters who were amazing and the Red Cross who also turned up.”

The couple have managed to salvage a few of their possessions since most of the damage downstairs is water damage but many have been destroyed, and it is likely to be a year before they will be able to move back in.

Initial investigations suggest that a chimney fire may have spread into the thatched roof of the cob cottages, which date from the 1650s.

Around 70 firefighters battled the blaze from Warminster, Trowbridge, Salisbury, Amesbury and Bath at its height.

Relief crews were brought in from further afield to ensure a presence at the scene until 10am on Sunday.

Area manager Jim Mahoney, who was in charge of the incident, said: “Fires such as this one are devastating for the families affected, and we did all we could to save as many of their possessions as possible.

"The crews also did a fantastic job in preventing the fire from spreading any further. My thanks go to all of the firefighters, who worked incredibly hard in very difficult conditions, and also to our Control room operators, who had a very busy night and gave us great support.”

Advice on fire safety measures for people living in a thatched property can be found at www.wiltsfire.gov.uk/thatchedproperties