Huge fire wrecks thatched-roof house in Clanfield with more than 70 firefighters battling blaze for five hours in 'challenging conditions'

A FIRE has destroyed a large part of a thatched-roof property in Clanfield, with more than 70 firefighters battling the blaze throughout the night.

A total of 12 fire crews – including those from the fire stations in Southsea, Gosport, Havant, and Cosham – were called to the incident in North Lane at 12.32am.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire Service advised nearby residents to keep windows and doors closed due to the large amount of smoke from the fire.

No one was injured in the blaze, which remains unexplained at this time, according to Southsea firefighter Tom Davies.

More than 70 firefighters have spent hours fighting a fire across a thatched-roof property in Clanfield. Picture: Hampshire fire service

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The firefighter said his crew spent more than four hours working to fully extinguish the fire.

He added: ‘The roof was 100 per cent damaged and the first floor was also 100 damaged, and the ground floor was flood damaged.

‘Salvage operation were carried out.’

Firefighters report that the thatched-roof has been completed destroyed by the blaze.

According to a social media post from the fire service, firefighters will remain on the scene for ‘quite some time’.

Hampshire fire service area manager Jason Avery applauded the response from crews in the ‘challenging conditions’.

Posting on social media, he said: ‘As incident commander I can’t praise them enough for all their hard work in some very cold and challenging conditions.’