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Wiltshire builders save woman and dogs from burning home

BBC House with most of the roof burnt away. Firefighters works on the groundBBC
Mr Budd said it was very difficult to put the fire out as it was a "very thick thatched roof"

A builder has described running into a burning house with 10 of his colleagues to help stop a fire spreading.

The construction workers helped save a woman and her dogs from the fire in Urchfont, Wiltshire, on Thursday.

Harrison Budd, 24, from Bridgwater, was working on the Acorn housing development next door when the team first started noticing smoke.

"At that point the adrenaline kicks in. You just want to get there and try and help out best you can," said Mr Budd.

The onsite manager told everyone to pick up a fire extinguisher and all 11 of the workers "sprinted around the corner" to find the thatched roof on fire.

Close up of badly damaged thatched roof with smoke in the air
All occupants and pets escaped the fire unharmed

"It was smoking quite heavily. A couple of us went inside the burning building with a hose and tried to dampen it from underneath," Mr Budd said.

He added that while running into the house he was not "thinking or feeling anything", adding: "You don't really think twice about the precautions."

Mr Budd said after the fire "you sit down and think what you've just done. It's like 'We've all taken a risk to go and help out."

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What to do if there is a fire

Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service shares the following advice:

  • If you have a fire in your home - get out, stay out, call 999.
  • Raise the alarm. Let everyone in the house know about the fire. Shout and get everyone together if it's safe to do so.
  • If you can't get out at all, get everyone into one room, ideally one with a window.
  • If your clothes catch fire - stop, drop and roll.
  • Don't go back into the building - if someone is still inside, wait for the Fire and Rescue Service to arrive and tell them how to find the missing person. Firefighters have the right safety equipment and have been trained to carry out a rescue.
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Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue (DWFRS) group manager Wayne Jones was the first senior officer on the scene.

He said the construction workers continued helping the fire service after they arrived by assisting with the water hose.

Firefighter Wayne Jones standing in front of the burnt building
Group manager Wayne Jones thanked the workers for assisting the fire crews

"I would like to offer my sincere thanks to them all for their actions prior to our arrival of the fire service, and for their assistance in securing a water supply enabling crews to tackle the fire as soon as possible after the event," he said.

DWFRS said an investigation was ongoing but the fire is believed to be accidental.

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