Fire crews from Banbury and Bicester help tackle blaze which guts a thatched cottage

The north Oxfordshire firefighters joined other fire crews from across the county at Kirtlington near Bicester, where the cottage was on fire.

The alert went out at 5.35pm yesterday (Monday) and the operation went on overnight. The Oxfordshire crews left at midday today (Tuesday).

Firefighters extinguished the blaze as well as stripping the thatch with the use of mechanical plant machinery.

A spokesman for the Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “In total 17 fire appliances from across the county plus six specialist vehicles and officers attended the scene overall throughout the night with ten fire crews working simultaneously working at the height of the incident.

“The occupants were able to escape safely prior to the arrival of fire crews, and a number of items salvaged whilst firefighters worked to tackle the fire.”

A hydraulic platform and mechanical assistance was brought in to tackle working from overhead, whilst the incident was supported by colleagues from Scottish and Southern Electricity, Thames Water and Thames Valley Police.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, although it is not thought to be suspicious.