Major fire breaks out at house in Aveton Gifford

A major blaze broke out at a house, spreading to several outbuildings, oil drums and nearby cars.

Ten fire crews were called to the scene at Aveton Gifford, south Devon, at about 00:15 GMT.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said the fire was fanned by strong winds, hindering the progress of its crews in bringing it under control.

All the occupants were able to get out, the fire service added.

During the fire, police closed the A379 between Aveton Gifford and Modbury.

A nearby swimming pool was used as a water source, the fire service said.

It added that steady progress was made by 04:00 and that was when crews began damping down at the scene.

Incident commander Matt Radford said the crews "were faced with a significantly well-developed fire on their arrival".

He said: "We did have a running fuel fire from a heating oil tank which ignited two cars on the driveway.

"But we were able to contain that very quickly through very prompt actions."

An investigation was under way into the cause, he added.

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