A number of crews have remained on the scene of a large thatch fire at a farmhouse near Saxmundham.
Sixteen fire crews from stations across the county were called to the property in Rendham Road, Carlton, just after 6.10pm on Tuesday.
Firefighters arrived to find a farmhouse almost completely engulfed in flames.
Crews from across the county spent just over two hours tackling the farm
Incident commander and watch manager for Lowestoft Russell Punchard said: “We had an overhead electrical supply into the building which presented us with a huge problem because it was making the roof live so we had to wait for that to be isolated before we could actually crack on.
“At one point the cable was live because it fell from where it goes into the house onto the roof. We needed that to be isolated to get it out of the way before we could start using water in earnest.
“It’s a difficult thing for me to say but when you arrive at a job like this you know you’ve lost the battle. All you can do is to try to get the valuables out and what you can of their personal belongings out.”
“I’ve been in the job for 36 years and I’ve only been to one other thatch fire which was as well developed as this when we arrived.”
In total, around 65 firefighters were believed to have attended the scene with a small number of crews staying on site overnight as a precaution.
The cause of the fire is as yet unknown.
READ MORE: Sixteen fire crews battle large thatched farmhouse blaze
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