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Ogwell fire: Devastating thatched pub blaze was 'accidental'

Sidmouth Fire Station Damaged pubSidmouth Fire Station
A photograph from an aerial ladder platform showed the scale of the damage

A fire which tore through the thatched roof of a village pub started accidentally, fire investigators said.

Twelve fire appliances were sent to The Jolly Sailor, Ogwell, near Newton Abbot, in Devon on Friday afternoon.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said two crews were still damping down at 14:00 BST on Saturday.

They said a fire door had saved a large part of the building including the dining room, kitchen area and skittle alley.

Buckfastleigh Fire Station The Jolly Sailor Pub with burnt roof and fire fightersBuckfastleigh Fire Station
Teams worked through the night to bring the fire under control

A spokesperson for the fire service said: "This was an accidental fire in a thatched roof of a public house consisting of two floors."

The roof was completely burnt down in the fire and the bar area "devastated," according to Rob Cude, incident commander.

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Relieved locals found out on Twitter a large part of the pub was saved by a fire door

In a video he posted on Twitter, he showed how a large area of the two-storey building had been protected by a fire door.

On Friday fire crews sprayed surrounding properties with compressed air foam to protect other thatched roofs from flying embers.