AN ELDERLY couple have praised the swift action of firefighters who saved their listed thatch cottage from burning to the ground.

AN ELDERLY couple have praised the swift action of firefighters who saved their listed thatch cottage from burning to the ground.

When flames broke out in the thatched roof of a 17th century pair of semi-detached cottages in Debenham last night the owners feared the worst.

But around sixty firefighters who tackled the blaze managed to contain the damage to the roof and prevent it rip-ping through the rest of the property.

Derek Chittenden and his wife Sue had been preparing to eat their dinner when a friend knocked on the window at 5.50pm to say there were flames coming from their roof.

They initially tried to tackle the fire in the Grade Two list building in Gracechurch Street with their garden hose before fire crews arrived to battle the blaze.

At the height of the fire ten engines were at the scene, along with a turntable ladder and an operational support unit.

Firefighters wearing breathing equipment and protective clothing frantically stripped down areas of the thatch to create fire breaks, whilst using hose reels on the flames. It was put out by 8.15pm.

They managed to prevent the fire reaching the structure of the house itself and all the property inside was safely removed to the back of the building as a precaution.