WHEN Roadwater couple Ken and Ann Hawke heard the sound of breaking glass as they lay in bed in their 16th century home, they feared they were being burgled.

But when they discovered the noise that woke them shortly before 6am on Monday was a framed photograph falling from the chimney breast, they realised they were facing a different threat.

Fire from the woodburning stove in the sitting room of Glasses Farm, a thatched grade two listed property on the outskirts of the village, had caught a beam alight in the chimney.

"When we went downstairs, we couldn't see anything but when we touched the chimney breast, we both burned our fingers," said Ken.

"And when we went outside we could see smoke pouring from the chimney."

Fire crews from Williton, who were on the scene within 20 minutes, discovered the temperature within the chimney had inched up to 278 degrees centigrade.

They were forced to remove the plaster and cut away sections of the oak beams which were alight, working from the hearth upwards.

"We managed to get most of the furniture out of the room, so fortunately there wasn't too much damage but the chimney has cracked, so we will have to replace it," said Ken.

A local builder also had to be called in to stabilise the chimney after the beams had been removed.

"We keep the woodburning stove going most of the time but we don't know why the fire spread to the beams because the chimney was properly lined," said Ken.

"The stove is new so there was nothing wrong there.

"But it could have been a lot worse if it had happened when we weren't in the house, or if we hadn't been woken by the sound of the breaking glass.

"It was really lucky the photograph fell off the wall."

The couple, who breed miniature horses, bought the farmhouse three years ago and as well as lining the chimneys and carrying out other improvements, had installed smoke alarms.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service Taunton Group Commander Phil Martin said the smoke alarms were activated once the fire had been exposed.

"It had probably been burning for some considerable time, a couple of days at least." he said.

"The fire had progressed from the flue and caught two oak beams alight.

"The crews did a great job and fortunately there was limited damage to the property."