MULTIPLE fire crews from across Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service responded to reports of a thatched property fire in East Devon earlier this afternoon (July 14).

At its height 15 fire engines plus specialist support vehicles and more than 70 firefighters and officers were tackling the blaze in the hamlet of Strete Raleigh near Whimple.

A Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: ’We were made aware of the fire at 3.30pm and are currently still in attendance at the scene’

‘It is believed the fire started in a gas canister outside the property but that had spread to the thatched roof of a two storey building consisting of three private dwellings.

‘There was a lot of smoke in the area and Exeter Airport was notified due to the close proximity of the fire to the airport.’

Fighting the blaze fire crews used three hose reels, one main jet and a fog spike.

By 8pm the incident had been scaled down to six pumps with an ongoing salvage operation to retrieve belongings from the building as well as dampening down and stripping back the thatch to check for hotspots.