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A ROW of three thatched properties was severely damaged after a fire broke out in St Mary Bourne, near Whitchurch.  Sixteen pumps and more than 70 firefighters from Hampshire and Berkshire attended the blaze which started shortly after 3pm on Monday, January 29.
The fire spread through the roofs of a terrace of three thatched cottages 50 metres by eight metres and all suffered severe fire damage.  The cottages were part of a larger row of nine properties which firefighters battled to save.
During the operation nine jets, three hosereels and 62 breathing apparatus were used. Pumps were mobilised from all areas of the county including stations as far away as Fareham, St Marys, Petersfield, and Ringwood to supply relief crews over a 24 hour period. A total of 17 standby moves were also made to ensure fire cover could be maintained throughout the period. Police officers closed the main road through St Mary Bourne while firefighters worked. There were no reported injuries in any of the cottages. More that 90 per cent of fires in thatched properties are caused by faults in the flue or chimney - in other words over 90 per cent of thatched property fires are preventable. Following the recent drop in temperatures and the onset of Winter, Hampshire fire crews have once again started responding to this type of incident. The Service offers the following advice to householders: · Make sure you have your chimney swept regularly to prevent a build-up of soot deposits. · Ensure that the top of the chimney stack is at least five feet above the thatch, allowing sparks to escape and die-out before they settle on the thatch. · Have your chimney checked to ensure that the brick or stone work is in good condition, especially where it passes through the thatch. · It is preferable that all thatch roofs should be separated from the roof void by a fire resisting barrier, this ensures that any fire is easier to extinguish, and the building would suffer less damage from firefighting water. · Combustible materials should not be stored in the roof space. · A smoke detector should be provided in the roof space and linked to others in your home. Most thatch fires start in the roof space and due to the thickness may not be apparent for many hours. With a working smoke alarm, a fire in the roof space will be detected and the warning will be given throughout the house. Smoke detectors are recommended for all rooms except kitchens and bathrooms.  
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Houses like this are what makes the english village what it is. Lets hope they are rebuilt to the same standard