Fire crews discover gas cylinder in blazing garden shed

THE potential danger of an exploding gas cylinder was faced by fire and rescue crews who attended a blaze in a garden shed in Watchet this evening.
The seemingly minor incident is Brendon Road turned into a more major alert when a Calor gas cylinder was discovered inside the shed.
Fire crews attended the incident from Williton, Minehead, and Taunton just before 5 pm.
After putting out the blaze, they remained on scene for some time, using two ground monitors.

Hunt for van arsonists as flames threaten thatched cottage

AN arsonist gang was being sought in Minehead early today after a parked van was set alight in the centre of the town, putting a nearby thatched cottage at risk.
Firefighters from the Minehead station were called to deal with the early hours blaze, which happened in Bampton Street.
Police were also quickly on the scene and three men wearing hoods were seen running away from the scene and into Selbourne Place.
Both of the Minehead fire appliances were needed at the incident because of the risk the flames and sparks posed to the thatched property.
The silver colour Transit van was well alight when the fire and rescue crews reached the scene shortly before 2.45 am.
It suffered damage to the passenger and engine compartments by fire and smoke and also to the rear of vehicle as the firemen extinguished the flames using two hose reel jets.
The cause of the fire was found to be deliberate.
Anybody with any information about the incident should call PC Mark Potter at Minehead Police Station on 0845 4567000 or use the anonymous Crimestoppers free number 0800 555111.

Smoke detector fitted after New Year's Day kitchen blaze

FIREFIGHTERS from Williton tackled a kitchen blaze last night in May Terrace, Washford.
Two fire engines attended the incident, which happened shortly after 7 pm and found smoke billowing from the rear of the house.
The fire was caused by an electrical fault within a washer-dryer and was it was put out by two firefighters wearing breathing apparatus and using a hose reel jet.
The washer-dryer was destroyed by heat and fire, and the kitchen was badly damaged by smoke.
The fire and rescue crews found smoke detectors were not fitted in the property so they ensured that one was fitted while they were at the scene.

Old oven gloves cause farmhouse fire

THREE fire and rescue crews from Porlock and Minehead were called to a farmhouse blaze this morning at Home Bush Wood, Luccombe.
The brigade was alerted at just after 9 am when the fire was spotted in the living room of the property.
One appliance from Porlock and two from Minehead were mobilised, plus a command support unit from Wiveliscombe.
However, the Porlock firemen were first on the scene and they quickly realised the blaze could be put out without the support of the other appliances, which returned to their stations.
A log basket was found to be alight and it was removed from the living room and the firefighters used positive pressure ventilation and a dry powder extinguisher to put out the flames.
The cause was an old set of oven gloves which had been used to stoke the fire with logs and which had then been placed in the log basket where they ignited.
The damage was restricted to three sq ft of direct burning, and 500 sq ft of smoke damage.
Smoke alarms were fitted to the property.
The firefighters also carried out a ‘hot strike’ to neighbouring properties.

Firefighters investigate Christmas Day blaze on Exmoor

FIVE fire engines from four towns were called to a Christmas Day house fire on Exmoor.
Crews attended the incident from Dulverton, Wiveliscombe, Williton, and Bampton.
The blaze in Brompton Regis was spotted by neighbours after smoke detectors in the The Old Waggon Works activated just before 3.20 pm this afternoon.
Owners Peter Page, who is a parish councillor, and his wife Babs, were understood to be away at the time for a family Christmas celebration.
One bedroom was almost entirely destroyed in the fire, which also spread to the loft of the house and to a downstairs utility room as firefighters used breathing apparatus to enter the property and tackle the blaze.
The whole of the groundfloor and first floor of the house suffered smoke damage, but The Post understands nobody was injured in the incident.
Six sets of breathing apparatus, two hose reel jets, and one covering jet were used in the firefighting operation.
The cause of the fire was still under investigation this evening but was beleived to have been an electrical fault.

Rodents to blame as fire destroys isolated farmhouse

AN isolated farmhouse was destroyed in a fire this afternoon which is thought to have been caused by mice or rats.
The rodents had gnawed through electrical wiring which was then thought to have shorted and started a blaze in the roof of the building.
The fire in Raddington, between Skilgate and Chipstable, was spotted at 2.30 pm, and initially firefighters attended from Wiveliscombe, Dulverton, and Wellington.
Heavy smoke was issuing from the roof when the fire brigade arrived and the scale of the incident was quickly established.
Two more fire engines were called from Tiverton, together with a command support unit from Ilminster and an incident support unit from Taunton, making a total of seven appliances.
The fire crews took several hours fighting the fire externally with three main jets, two hose reel jets, and six firefighters wearing breathing apparatus.
They also carried out salvage work.
The incident was scaled down to three pumps shortly after 7 pm and the blaze was finally extinguished some time later.
More than three-quarters of the farmhouse was destroyed by the fire and most of the remainder was damaged by water used to fight it.
Illustrative photo.

Information appeal as arsonist torches empty cottages

POLICE have issued an appeal for witnesses following a suspicious fire which destroyed two homes on the edge of the Quantock Hills during the early hours of today.
The properties, two cottages in Stockham, near West Bagborough, were believed to have been empty for several months.
The alarm was raised at 2.30 am, but police are keen to hear from anybody who may have been driving along the lane between West Bagborough and Triscombe and the junction of Rock Lane and Kennel Lane - where the cottages were located - any time from 8pm onwards last night.
In particular, officers would like to hear from anybody who may have seen a vehicle parking in the area, especially if it was near to the cottages.
Fire and rescue crews from Williton, Wiveliscombe, Taunton, and Bridgwater, as well as two officers, were called to the blaze
They started to arrive from 2.28 am and found two adjoining derelict properties were well alight.
The crews used compressed air foam and three hose reel jets to extinguish the fire and dampen down the buildings.
Arson was suspected, although officially the cause was unknown and was said to be still under investigation.
Anybody who may have any information about the incident is asked to contact Taunton police by calling 0845 4567000, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, where reports can be made anonymously.

Dulverton tenant hailed as hero for fatal blaze rescue attempt

A MAN who died in a fire which ripped through a block of four flats in Dulverton in the early hours of Tuesday has been named locally as Bob Short, who was in his 50s.
Mr Short lived in an upstairs flat in Herbert House, Dulverton, and was found dead inside it by firefighters who tackled the blaze.
Herbert House, on the corner of Amory Road and Barns Close West, provides temporary sheltered accommodation for homeless people and those with drugs and/or alcohol dependency.
It is run by Worcester-based Sanctuary Housing Association, which manages more than 70,000 properties across England and Scotland.
Mr Short had today still not been formally identified due to difficulty in locating his next of kin.
Fire service and police forensic investigators were continuing to examine the scene to try to work out what caused the fire.
Meanwhile, a second Herbert House tenant, Les Dale, aged 53, has been hailed as a hero for helping to rescue a woman and her dog, Shadow, from a ground floor flat, and for trying to save Mr Short.
Mr Dale saw flames coming through the ceiling of his downstairs flat shortly before 3 am and he rushed to a nearby relative’s house to call for the fire brigade before going back to help the woman.
A fourth occupant, a man in another upstairs flat, was rescued by Dulverton firefighters.
More than 30 firefighters were called to the incident from Dulverton, Wiveliscombe, Bampton, Tiverton, Taunton, and Bridgwater.
A spokewoman for Sanctuary Housing said alternative accommodation would be found for residents while Herbert House was repaired.

Women hurt as tumble drier catches alight

TWO women were treated by paramedics for the effects of smoke inhalation after a fire at a house in Minehead during the evening of Sunday, January 20.
They had been in the property in Ash Grove when a tumble drier caught alight and started to fill the house with smoke shortly after 8 pm.
Two fire and rescue crews from Minehead Fire Station attended the incident, along with an ambulance crew.
The firefighters tackled the blaze using two sets of breathing apparatus and one hose reel jet, as well as a positive pressure ventilation fan.
It took more than half-an-hour to bring the incident under control and put out the fire, although damage to the property was restricted to the room containing the tumble drier.
An electrical fault on the tumble drier was thought to have been the cause of the fire.

Faulty tumble drier sparks early morning blaze

AN electrical fault in a tumble drier is believed to have caused an early morning fire which broke out in a house in Langley Marsh, near Wiveliscombe.
The blaze happened in a utility area of the property at about 5 am on Monday, December 17.
Two fire engines were called to the incident from the Wiveliscombe and Wellington stations and firefighters used breathing apparatus to enter the house and find the source of the blaze.
The fire was then extinguished using one hose reel jet.

Faulty fan blamed for early morning Butlins fire

A FAULT in an electrical extractor fan has been found to be the cause of a fire which broke out in the early hours of Monday, November 26, at the Butlins holiday centre, in Minehead.
Fire investigators determined the blaze, which damaged six chalets and a large area of roofing, was started accidentally.
The fire happened at about 5.40 am and there were initial reports that people may have been trapped in the chalets, which turned out to be incorrect.
Fire and rescue crews from Minehead, Porlock, Williton, Wiveliscombe, and Taunton all attended the scene.

Investigation after early hours blaze in Butlins chalets

AN investigation is underway into the cause of a fire which broke out in Butlins holiday centre, in Minehead, in the early hours of Monday, November 26.
Firefighters rushed to the centre after initial reports indicated that people might be trapped by the blaze.
The alarm was sounded shortly after 5.30 am when the fire was spotted in a block of chalets.
The roof of the building was alight when the fire crews reached the scene, but they were quickly able to determine that nobody was inside the 150 yards long by 100 yards wide block.
Eight of the chalets were damaged by heat and fire, with three of them heavily smoke logged.
Two fire crews attended from Minehead and others from Porlock and Williton, as well as a command support unit from Wiveliscombe and an incident support unit from Taunton.
They used four breathing apparatus and two hose reel jets to tackle the blaze, which is thought may have been started by an electrical fault.