Crews fight 'fierce' fire in coastal village

Eleven fire crews have battled a large house fire in a village on the south coast of Devon.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service (DSFRS) said the fire broke out in a domestic property in Bigbury-on-Sea at about 11:40 BST.

Annika Connolly, who lives in a house nearby, said: "It was a massive fire, it was really fierce for a while and, once it took hold, the flames were really high and there was a lot of smoke."

The fire service advised residents in the area to keep their doors and windows closed due to the large volume of black smoke and said the Environment Agency had been informed of the incident.

DSFRS group commander Simon Carey oversaw the response to the fire and said it had been "a large-scale fire".

He said at its peak there had been 11 fire appliances tackling the fire on all four sides of the house.

Carey said: "The fire was well-established on our arrival, flames were visible from the roof."

He said the fire had been put out by 16:00, but it had caused "extensive, widespread" damage.

Kay Cannon, who was camping at Folly Farm in the Clematon area of the village, said: "We saw huge flames spreading out of the top of the roof of a building and they were dramatic.

"It's very ethereal, there is lots and lots of smoke combined with the sea mist so the wonderful view of Burgh Island, the hotel and skyline is just one converged grey mist."

Carey said the fire service and police would carry out an investigation into the cause of the fire.

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