Thames Valley fire crews tackle significant thatch fire

The emergency services worked to extinguish the fire and save the contents of the houses

A thatch roof fire has been extinguished after crews from several counties attended a blaze that affected two houses.

Fire crews were called out at about 17:40 BST on Saturday evening to a fire affecting two properties in Thame, Oxfordshire.

Thirteen fire engines were used to attend to the blaze at its height.

Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service (OFRS) fire investigators are working on the cause of the incident.

Crews attended from across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire fire and rescue services.

Thirteen fire engines and two aerial platforms were attending at the height of the blaze

The thatch and neighbouring tiled roof were also removed to save as much of the houses as possible and to enable access.

Roads in Thame remained closed during the day on Sunday.

The incident, which affected two properties on the High Street, continued over night and into the next day

Locals were urged to stay away and "keep windows closed when conditions are smoky".

Andy Ford from Oxfordshire fore service said they managed to stop the thatch blaze, but the first floor of the property is "quite severely damaged".

One resident was taken to hospital as a precaution. The fire is believed to have been accidental.

Thame firefighters said that they "would love to be able to prevent as many incidents as possible."

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