Resident 'thankful' everyone safe after fire

Tony Williams is thankful all the residents escaped the fire

A man who escaped his burning cottage said it "feels surreal" and he cannot yet believe what happened.

Tony Williams was alerted to the fire at three cottages at Drewsteignton, Devon, on Monday evening by bangs on the door and calls of fire.

He said firefighters arrived rapidly but the blaze caught hold in the cottages that are owned by the National Trust.

Mr Williams said: "The smoke was kind of overwhelming. It's quite intense and then just watching the whole thing go up and it's really sad to see. The really good thing is that everyone got out."

The fire took hold in the thatch at the cottages

Fire crews from 32 stations tackled the fire and Mr Williams said they "worked their socks off".

He said the fire spread very quickly and lapped over the roof.

"Because of the nature of the thatch it was coming underneath," Mr Williams added.

Fire ripped through the thatched roofs of the cottages

He said his two cats were fine but his dog was shaken by the incident.

Mr Williams said he was overwhelmed by the support the residents were offered: "It's amazing that people have offered so much love and care."

He said he was trying to be "as positive as possible and be thankful that you got out and everyone else did".

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said the cause of the fire was believed to be accidental and a spark probably landed on the thatch.