MORE than 50 firefighters fought a roof blaze at a thatched cottage in Figheldean on Sunday night.
Fire crews with eight appliances rushed to the Salisbury Plain village just before 11 o'clock after the blaze broke out in the roof of Vine Cottage in Church Lane - a high-risk area where there is a cluster of thatched properties.
About 40 per cent of the roof was alight when crews arrived but they successfully cut fire breaks in the roof and managed to prevent flames spreading to the rest of the building.
Firefighters, wearing breathing apparatus, stripped away thatch and removed the undamaged furniture and personal effects of the occupiers to a safe storage area before making the property safe and weatherproof.
No one was injured in the blaze and the couple occupying the cottage later spent the night at a neighbour's house.
A fire brigade spokesman said that in the end about 50 per cent of the roof was damaged and that it had probably been set alight by a chimney fire.
Fire crews from Amesbury, Pewsey, Ludgershall, Salisbury, Wilton, Chippenham and RAF Netheravon attended the scene.
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