Firefighters battle large blaze at thatched home on Nouale Lane in Poulner, near Ringwood

DOZENS of firefighters battled for hours to contain a “devastating” blaze which gutted a thatched property near Ringwood.

The alarm was raised at 5.30pm on Saturday as flames tore through the roof of the home on Nouale Lane in Poulner.

Its occupants were all out before crews from Hampshire and Dorset arrived, by which time a large portion of the roof was engulfed.

At the height of the incident, more than 50 firefighters from 10 fire engines and support vehicles were at the scene.

Residents were urged to avoid the area and keep windows and doors closed due to the smoke.

The response was scaled down to four fire engines by 10pm, but crews remained through the night to monitor and dampen down hot spots.

By 6am, the blaze had died down significantly, with two fire engines remaining as investigations were launched to establish the cause.

All crews left the scene at 2.15pm.

Group manager Jim Couch, who was incident commander, said: “Ten fire engines and over 50 firefighters were swiftly on scene to tackle the blaze. The cause of the fire is still being investigated.

“Thanks go to our colleagues from Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, who worked with our crews throughout the evening to get the fire under control.

“There has unfortunately been significant damage to the property. It’s a devastating loss for the residents of the property, but thankfully there was no injuries.”

Mr Couch continued: “These types of incidents can cause concern for other residents of thatched properties.

“I encourage anyone living in a property with a thatched roof to read our fire safety advice for thatched properties.”

During the incident six fire engines from Dorset joined crews from Ringwood, Lyndhurst, Beaulieu, Fordingbridge, Cosham, Eastleigh, Hightown, Redbridge, and St Mary’s.