More than 60 firefighters tackle thatched roof fire in Hampshire village

Crews from both Hampshire and Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service were called just before 6pm last night (05 Jan) to the house in Hartley Wespall near Hook.With the first floor and roof of the two-storey building well alight the incident was made ?Pumps 10? as more resources were required.No casualties were involved in the blaze as fire appliances came from Basingstoke, Hartley Wintney, Odiham, Tadley, Rushmoor, Overton, Winchester, St Mary’s as well as Berkshire alongside specialist vehicles from Fleet, Andover, Eastleigh and Alton.Firefighters worked to create a fire break in the thatch as well as undertaking salvage operations inside the property.As the fire continued into the evening relief crews from Kingsclere, Stockbridge and Yateley were arranged to take over from the firefighters first on the scene.The stop message came in at 22:10 after ten sets of breathing apparatus, two jets, two hose reels and Compressed Air Foam System were used to extinguish the blaze.The number of appliances was scaled down as crews continued to strip the affected thatch from the roof and dampen down.The roof and first floor of the cottage suffered 50% fire damage, with the ground floor suffering 50% smoke and water damage.One engine returned during the night to reinspect the scene and ensure there were no further hotspots.Group Manager Jerry Leonard who was incident commander, said:?On arrival we were faced with a well-developed thatch fire in a remote location with a limited water supply and worked well with our colleagues from Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service and other partner agencies to overcome these challenges.?It is a devastating incident for the owners of the property but due to the incredible efforts of our firefighters we managed to implement a good fire break, save all the possessions and half of the building.?