Pets die in North Devon house fire

A DOG and parrot were both killed in a property fire near Lynton on Saturday.

Fire crews from the village and Combe Martin were called to the fire at 8.30pm.

The first floor of the property, between Challacombe and Simonsbath, was well alight when they arrived.

Officers tackled the blaze for four hours but were unable to save the roof and first floor from collapsing.

The owners of the building were understood to be away for the evening.

Fire fighters were told about a large number of animals at the house by relatives and friends who live nearby.

The entered the building and managed to save six dogs and six exotic birds – parrots and parakeets.

Station manager Barry Webb from Barnstaple said his crew were at the scene an hour after the first emergency call. The crew provided a hydraulic platform from which to tackle the blaze.

He said: "The fire was difficult to deal with because it was in an extreme location. The first fire crew to get there was from Dulverton – 15 to 20 minutes after the emergency call."

He said the blaze may have resulted from an open fire. And added that people in remote locations need to check their fire safety arrangements.

"You can't have a fire engine on every street corner. If people are in a building, a smoke alarm is vital."