TWO thatched cottages were destroyed and other properties damaged by a huge fire in Porlock Weir which took until early Tuesday (May 2) to bring under control.

Nearly 30 fire crews from all over Somerset and Devon were deployed to battle the major incident in Worthy Toll Road and were said to be making 'steady progress' this morning.

Dozens of fire engines were still on the scene after more than 12 hours and the fire had still not been fully extinguished.

A Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue spokeswoman said: "We anticipate that our crews are likely to be there for most of this morning, they will start winding down once the fire is fully out."

Some nearby residents were evacuated and spent the night in the Porlock Weit Hotel, while villagers generally were warned to keep their doors and windows closed because of the amount of smoke.

Nobody was reported to have been injured in the fire, which took hold in roofing thatch at about 5.30 pm on Monday.

Eyewitness Julia Hasegan told the Free Press: “I could see it from my bedroom and see flames burning.

“The flames were still going at midnight. It just burned through the thatched roof.

“The two cottages are completely damaged, completely ruined.”

Firefighters worked through the night tackling the blaze with breathing apparatus, hose reel jets, ladders, and other equipment.

They stripped thatch from the roofs to prevent it spreading but other houses in the terrace suffered smoke damage.

South Western Ambulance NHS Foundation Trust responded to the incident with a double-crewed land ambulance, an operations officer, and four hazardous-area response teams.

An ambulance trust spokesman confirmed: “Nobody was taken to hospital.”

Porlock firefighters were first on the scene and were quickly joined by others from Minehead, Dulverton, Williton, Wiveliscombe, and Nether Stowey.

Eventually crews were mobilised from an area stretching as far as Martock, near Yeovil, and Barnstaple, Torrington, and Cullompton, in Devon.