THE owners of a 17th century bed and breakfast in Castle Combe which was gutted by fire, have told of their heartbreak at losing their beloved pet dogs.

Hilary Baker and Mac Turner lost everything apart from the clothes they were wearing when fire ripped through their home at around 7pm last Wednesday.

Still tearful from the experience, the couple described how they returned home from visiting a neighbour three doors away, to find fire had broken out in the living room.

Despite their vain attempts to reach their two 17-month-old Jack Russell puppies, Kickstart and Cam, they were beaten back by the heat and smoke.

Within minutes of the alarm being raised, nine fire crews from across Wiltshire were on the scene. Firefighters were forced to pull slate tiles from the roof and break mullion windows to reach the fire.

"It was just devastating," said Ms Baker. "Standing there, knowing that our puppies were trapped inside and that there was nothing we could do, was the most helpless feeling I have ever experienced."

Mr Turner said they could hear the puppies crying. "But there was nothing we could do," he added.

"We have lost everything, but whereas we can replace our possessions, we can never replace our puppies they were like our children."

The fire is believed to have been caused by a power surge, which ignited a socket in the living room of the cottage and quickly spread up through a cavity wall into the roof of the building, where it ignited the timbers beneath the heavy roof slates.

Fire crews using breathing apparatus and special ladders, battled to douse the flames, but the couple say there is little left to salvage in their now boarded-up home.

Mr Turner said: "Everything is completely blackened and burned, which is heartbreaking."

Fire crews stayed at the scene until the next day. Ms Baker said: "The full extent of the fire hit us during the night when we were outside watching the fire crews at work.

"A neighbour came up and handed us a couple of bags, containing a razor and two toothbrushes.

"It wasn't until that moment that I realised we had nothing left apart from the clothes we stood up in and £4 between us in our pockets."

The couple say they have been left speechless by the kindness and generosity of friends and neighbours.

"We've been given clothes, money and even the offer of places to stay from complete strangers," said Mr Turner.

"We've also had messages of support from around the world, from tourists who've stayed at the bed and breakfast while on holiday. We can't get over how kind everyone has been."

The couple now face a year of hard work to restore their home to some semblance of its former condition.

"At the moment, our days are filled with sorting through the rubble of our house, while we wait for the loss adjusters and insurance companies to get things sorted out," Ms Baker said.

The couple are now staying with friends in Castle Combe, but are planning to rent a property in the village.

"We want to be close enough to our home to be on hand, but far enough away that we don't have to open the curtains and see the blackened shell every morning," said Mr Turner.

"It has been a shattering week, but we will get through this. We have the help and support of our friends and one day we will see our home restored.

"But nothing will bring back our puppies," he said.

Blaze destroys home

THE blaze that ripped through Castle Combe's former post office and tea rooms last Wednesday night, was the village's worst fire for more than 40 years.

Adrian Bishop, chairman of Castle Combe Parish Council, said the first indication of the fire came when residents noticed their television sets flickering shortly after 7pm.

"We have one joint aerial for the village and when it failed, people came out of their houses to see what had happened. That's when we noticed the fire at the bed and breakfast," he said.

"I have lived in Castle Combe for 40 years and this is the worst fire I can remember for many years and certainly the worst in terms of the damage it has caused," Mr Bishop added.

Owners Hilary Baker and Mac Turner returned to their home at about7pm, to find their living room engulfed in flames.

The couple's attempts to rescue their pet puppies, Kickstart and Cam were thwarted when they were beaten back by the flames.

Nine fire crews including teams from from Chippenham, Corsham and as far away as Gloucestershire fought the intense blaze.

The firefighters pulled heavy stone tiles from both roofs and smashed leaded windows to reach the flames, but a partial collapse of the first floor of the burning cottage meant they were unable to get into the building.

Ms Baker and Mr Turner could only watch in tears as the firefighters fought to control the blaze and to save their dogs, but it quickly became apparent that the animals had been overcome by the smoke.

The village square was lit by high intensity lighting, and villagers congregated, as high pressure water jets were pointed at the burning building, causing smoke to billow 50 feet into the air.

Assistant divisional fire officer Alan Harper said: "It is very tragic for the owners, but there was nothing we could do to save their dogs.

"We believe the fire was the result of an electrical fault, but because of the age of the building and the weight of the roof tiles on the damaged roof timbers, we were prevented from sending teams into the building, because there was a risk of being hit by a floor collapse."

Fire investigators are now looking into the cause of the fire, but a power surge is believed to have been a possibility.

"It was a terrible shock and a tragedy for Hilary and Mac, especially when they realised their pets had perished," Mr Bishop said.

He said the council is now planning to carry out an audit of fire safety at all properties in the village.

"We obviously haven't been as well equipped against the prospect of fire as we should be, and for that reason, I will be meeting with the fire brigade's fire safety officer to look at the way in which we are prepared for electrical faults, chimney fires and to also reassess our insurance," he said.

Meanwhile, Ms Baker, the former postmistress at Castle Combe and Mr Turner, have been left shattered by the fire and the loss of their beloved pets.

It is the latest in a series of blows for the couple, who were forced to close the store and post office in January 2002, after their business was hit badly by falling tourism, due to the foot and mouth crisis.

Speaking to the Gazette and Herald in November 2001, they said the bed and breakfast's takings had also plummeted because of the crisis.

They are now planning to rent a home in the village and start the task of rebuilding their dream home.