MORE than 50 firefighters were called to a thatched property in Ringwood at the weekend after a fire devastated its roof.

A fire was reported at a property on Nouale Lane on Saturday, March 15 at 5.30pm.

The residents had luckily self-evacuated the property, but the fire had already started to affect a large portion of the roof.

The fire saw a response from both Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service, with 10 fire engines mobilised with more than 50 firefighters in total.

Two fire engines remained on scene overnight to monitor and dampen down hotspots.

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The stop message was issued at 2.15pm on Sunday, March 16.

The cause of the fire has not yet been established.

Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service group manager Jim Couch, who was incident commander, said: “We were alerted to a fire at a thatched cottage in Poulner, Ringwood.

“10 fire engines and over 50 firefighters were swiftly on scene to tackle the blaze. The cause of the fire is still being investigated.

“Thanks go to our colleagues from Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, who worked with our crews throughout the evening to get the fire under control.

“There has unfortunately been significant damage to the property. It’s a devastating loss for the residents of the property, but thankfully there were no injuries.

“These types of incidents can cause concern for other residents of thatched properties. I encourage anyone living in a property with a thatched roof to read our fire safety advice for thatched properties.”