FIREFIGHTERS tackled a blaze that broke out on the thatch roof of a Grade 2 listed cottage near Faringdon.

Crews were called to the scene of the fire in Knighton at 7.20pm on Saturday and 60 firefighters fought to prevent it from damaging the property’s contents and spreading to other cottages.

Four specialist support vehicles from Oxfordshire and Dorset and Wiltshire’s Fire and Rescue Services attended the scene. 

The roof is understood to have been completely destroyed. 

Incident commander, group manager Mike Adcock, said “Thatch fires take a lot of firefighters to tackle the fire, as we need to act quickly to stop the fire spreading and save as many items from the house as soon as possible.

“We do this by working in teams and take great care in retrieving valuables and protecting furniture from the fire and water. Firefighters worked tirelessly together to achieve this”.

The cause of the blaze is being investigated by specialist fire investigators.