Thatched roof fire near Calne sparks huge response

On the morning of Saturday, May 20, eight crews from fire stations around the county were dispatched to the fire on Norley Lane in Studley, near Calne, alongside an aerial ladder platform, a water carrier and support units.

The response included teams from Calne, Chippenham, Devizes, Corsham, Trowbridge, Westlea, Frome, Swindon and Salisbury, while crews from Devon and Somerset also assisted.

Firefighters discovered the thatched roof of the property was “well alight” when they arrived, shortly after 11.30am, and three further appliances were mobilised to the scene.

Crews tackled the blaze throughout the afternoon using main jets, while breathing apparatus wearers attempted to salvage the property.

From 6pm onwards the response was scaled back to four pumping appliances and then to just two pumps from 8pm.

Firefighters remained at the scene overnight while “steady progress” was made.

The fire was extinguished almost 24 hours after it began, at around 10.15am on Sunday, May 21.

But hotspots were later found during a reinspection, at 7pm that evening, and had to be dampened down using a hose reel jet.

Another reinspection will take place on Monday afternoon to check for any further hotspots.